Horror in the Awards Season
Comment - Ananda Holte Nilsen
Awards season has come and gone, with the 98th Academy Awards marking the end of the festivities. It’s abundantly clear that cinema is back, with a lull post-COVID and a writer’s strike throughout 2023. But the enduring question comes again: where is the appreciation for horror movies?
1988 Academy Awards. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Horror or Drama?
Despite being a popular genre that consistently brings viewers to the cinema, it has never been taken seriously, often seen as too gory or using cheap tricks to get a reaction from the audience. In some ways, it runs parallel to comedies, another genre known to bring physical reactions from audiences, although the opposite of horror: with laughs instead of screams and tears of joy instead of fear. It also does not help that one of the most popular comedy franchises is a series of parodies on the horror genre, also known as Scary Movie (with the 6thmovie coming out later this year).
In a time of endless superhero movies following the same character arc or reboots of old classics (with the only new thing being a fresh cast), horror has been the most consistent in originality. In 2025 alone, we saw movies such as Good Boy, in which we follow a dog as it attempts to rescue its owner from paranormal activity; and 28 Years Later, a continuation of the well-known zombie movie 28 Days Later, which recreates its use of handheld camera with a modern twist: the iPhone.
Furthermore, the genre itself splits into several other subgenres: paranormal (think The Conjuring), slasher (Nightmare on Elm Street), psychological (The Shining), body horror (The Substance), and the classic creature feature (Creature from the Black Lagoon). With these subgenres, horror has consistently tested the limits and explored new stories. Yet, due to the genre’s reputation, it is often overlooked or avoided altogether.
Interestingly, actress Toni Collette has a different approach to her roles. Well-known for her performances in horror movies, Collette views horror movies as another type of drama with a twist. This is particularly applicable in Ari Aster’s Hereditary, which explores a family’s journey through grief as they lose both their grandmother and daughter within a short span of time. In fact, Collette’s monologue in the movie quickly became an online sensation, overshadowing the fact that Hereditary is a horror.
Also relevant is Ari Aster’s Midsommar, which follows the character Dani as she learns to cope with her trauma through a mysterious commune in Sweden. Though both movies involve scenes of intense suspense and anxiety, they still carry emotional scenes of loss and grief, showing the multiplicity of horror.
Hereditary (2018) Photo: IMDb
Telling us What’s wrong with society
Media such as film and TV have constantly been used for social commentary, politics, or a reflection of current society. This is seen in the type of horror movies that came out within a certain period. 2024 saw various horror (particularly in the body horror subsection) movies around motherhood and pregnancy in films such as Immaculate as women’s rights and healthcare seemed to roll back – especially in the United States. Similarly, The Purge released shortly after the 2008 financial crisis, the plot itself follows the effects of an economic collapse as the government allows for one night of lawlessness. Most of the targets are wealthier people, people who were able to keep their jobs and homes post-crisis, reflecting the anger and hatred of the general audience during that time.
Weapons once again showcases this, a movie following the disappearance of a whole classroom of children. The moviemakers make it blatantly clear what it is a metaphor of: showcasing a large rifle over one of the parents’ houses in a dream sequence.
A change in perspective?
Despite horror movies being a jack of all trades in cinema, its presence is still lacking in the awards ceremonies. 2026 has brought a change to this with Sinners breaking Academy records with 16 nominations, in spite of it being deemed an underdog in its release year. Worth a mention is Weapons, also receiving nominations, as well as the newest version of Frankenstein. With that in mind, it has been a relatively good year for horror, with appreciation for the genre growing with each year. Perhaps one day it will be as appreciated as dramas and action movies.