Year after year, horror is overlooked at the most prestigious award ceremonies, despite producing not only audience favorites but also critically acclaimed works. While The Silence of the Lambs dominated the 1992 Oscars 33 years ago, this seemed to be a rare exception to the rule. How is it that Toni Collette didn’t even receive a nomination for her performance in Hereditary (2018)? Or that Nicole Kidman (The Others, 2001) and Christian Bale (American Psycho, 2000) were similarly snubbed? However, this year’s Oscar nominations have delivered a significant surprise: horror films have been recognized in multiple categories, including major ones like Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress. Much of this recognition stems from the brilliant body horror The Substance and Demi Moore’s standout performance, but Nosferatu, Alien: Romulus, and The Girl with the Needle have also garnered nominations. Perhaps change is on the horizon.
In the history of the Oscars, only six horror films have ever been nominated for Best Picture: The Exorcist (1973), Jaws (1975), The Sixth Sense (1999), Black Swan (2010), Get Out (2017), and the sole winner, The Silence of the Lambs (1991).
The Substance was one of the year’s most talked-about films. Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat (Revenge), and starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, and Dennis Quaid, the body horror film tells the story of an aging Hollywood star willing to go to extreme lengths to stay at the top—or at least avoid being sidelined. Not only a critical darling, the film also succeeded commercially, grossing $76 million worldwide. Its year-long acclaim culminated in making it one of the year’s biggest festival hits. It has been nominated for 228 awards, winning 75 so far. Demi Moore, delivering the performance of her career, has already collected 17 awards, which is particularly notable given that this film marks her first significant Oscar nomination. The Academy has finally taken notice, nominating Moore for Best Actress, where she is currently the frontrunner. But the nominations don’t stop with Moore. The Substance is among the ten nominees for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay (Fargeat), and Best Makeup and Hairstyling (Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon, and Marilyne Scarselli).
Unfortunately, despite glowing reviews, Nosferatu fell short of a Best Picture nomination, and Robert Eggers (The Witch) missed out on a Best Director nod. Nonetheless, Nosferatu has earned four Oscar nominations: Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, and Best Production Design. Fans of the Alien franchise also have reason to celebrate. Fede Álvarez’s Alien: Romulus was one of the best Alien sequels since Aliens (1986). Although it wasn’t seen as an awards contender, Eric Barba, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser, Daniel Macarin, and Shane Mahan earned nominations for Best Visual Effects.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of all is the Danish horror film The Girl with the Needle, nominated in the Best International Feature category. This black-and-white gothic horror follows Karoline, played by Vic Carmen Sonne) and was previously nominated for a Golden Globe in the same category.