Horror Oscar Snubs that Still Give Us Nightmares
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The Academy is notoriously averse to nominating—let alone awarding—horror movies and performances that are nevertheless Oscar-worthy. Here are some egregious snubs that continue to haunt us.
Isabelle Fuhrman in Orphan
It’s not easy for a preteen child to convincingly inhabit the body of a deranged psychopath, but Isabelle Fuhrman does all of that and more in Orphan, a chilling thriller that asked the 11-year-old actress to essentially play two roles. Fuhrmann completely sells the movie’s legendary twist, and the Academy should have honored such a mature turn with a Best Supporting Actress nomination. —Elliott Cuff
Midsommar
I have never had such a visceral, rollercoaster experience with a movie like I did with Midsommar. I walked out of the theater feeling so utterly brainwashed. The way Ari Aster and Florence Pugh team up to put us in the shoes of someone experiencing incredible loss, gaslighting, empowerment, and letting go in such a unique way make this movie unforgettable. If Academy honors are meant to stand the test of time, this story and the way it translated to the screen will certainly stick with anyone who has watched it. —Natalie Pohorski
The Thing (1982)
The Thing unfortunately got a lukewarm response from critics in 1982, which is perhaps why it was nonsensically shut out of the 55th Academy Awards. The Thing is now regarded as one of the greatest films to grace the horror genre, but even before the retrospective critical acclaim it should have seen nominations for Rob Bottin’s groundbreaking makeup and practical effects, as well as Ennio Morricone’s masterful hypnotic score. —Elliott Cuff
Lupita Nyong’o in Us
I imagine it’s hard to give a great leading performance in a horror film. The range of emotions, complexity of character, the physical demands—all operating in a heightened reality. But I imagine it’s even harder to give two great leading performances in a horror film. What Lupita Nyong’o accomplishes in Jordan Peele’s 2019 horror-thriller Us is staggering—not just among the slate of 2019-2020 leading performances, but in the horror genre in general. The characters are lived-in, wildly realized, and utterly unforgettable. Not even being nominated for Best Actress is a true misfire on the Academy’s part, but watching as Renée Zelwegger won for Judy (perhaps the most forgettable Oscar movie of the 21st century) stung the most. —Kevin Prchal
Alfred Hitchcock
Hitchcock was nominated for a measly five Oscars in his entire career (Best Director for Rebecca, Lifeboat, Spellbound, Rear Window, and Psycho) but didn’t win a single one. How can someone who so changed the game and defined half a century of filmmaking come up empty handed? —Natalie Pohorski
The Night House
The Night House premiered at Sundance and was followed by a limited release and generally quiet reception, winning only the Fangoria Chainsaw award for Best Screenplay. The film takes after the styles of Hitchcock, Nolan, and Shyamalan in how it builds suspense and keeps you guessing, but takes it a step further by introducing the metaphor and allegory of an Ari Aster tale. But this movie would be nothing without Rebecca Hall, whose portrayal of a woman mourning and being haunted by her late husband will leave you speechless. —Natalie Pohorski
Bill Skarsgård in It
It’s an underwhelming fact that the only horror antagonist to ever win an Oscar is Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs. In recent years, Bill Skarsgård’s work in It stands out as a movie monster that should have seen more awards recognition. Between Pennywise’s buck-toothed appearance and cartoon-voice lies a disturbing creature that burrows deep under the skin. Skarsgård imbues any would-be goofiness with powerful dread, but his excellent character work largely (and shamefully) went unnoticed. —Elliott Cuff
Shelley Duvall in The Shining
Shelley Duvall being nominated for a Razzie Award for her performance in The Shining is my villain origin story (rescinded or not). Her portrayal of Wendy Torrance is one of the most severe and genuine depictions of anxiety and intense fear I’ve ever seen. The fact that she is still regularly excluded from the conversation whenever I hear anybody discuss the movie is a crime, particularly considering the psychological and emotional damage Stanley Kubrick caused her so she would sustain an “authentic” portrayal of terror throughout the making of the film. She’s so expressive, squirrelly, and brittle because she’s actually being pushed to her limits. Wendy Torrance is the only main character who keeps the audience tethered to reality, and the movie wouldn’t have felt as terrifying without Shelley Duvall in it. —Natalie Bauer
Halloween Score by John Carpenter
A horror film made on a dime in 1978 wasn’t exactly Oscar bait, but John Carpenter’s Halloween has gone on to prove it’s something far bigger than a golden statue. It’s a towering achievement from many vantage points—the direction, star-making performances, a character as synonymous with Halloween as Santa Claus is to Christmas. But perhaps most impressive is the film’s score, composed by none other than Carpenter himself. Few directors have scored their own films, but Carpenter’s creaky, synth-doom score still haunts and endures, and the Academy got it dead wrong by shunning it. —Kevin Prchal