Academy of Motion Pictures is a popular game, we all know it. So when we look at the annual Oscar nominations*, we don’t expect to find actors getting nods for the horror movies they starred in.
Yes, industry awards like iHorror’s they’re great for recognizing outstanding talent in the genre, but most actors only dream of receiving that Merit Award gold statuette at some point in their career.
It’s no secret that young actors often start their careers in horror films. Let’s take a look at Jamie Lee Curtis which was presented to the world in the original Halloween over 40 years ago. It was only this year that she received her first Oscar nomination Everything Everywhere Once.
So we would like to send this message to Oscar board for the actors they overlooked in this year’s vote:
For Academy voters: It’s okay to nominate blockbusters and the talent involved. I took. That’s the name of the game in Hollywood. But below are some incredible actors who have done exceptionally well this year both in their craft and in their films.
Maybe you were too busy looking at the digital page inside Avatars or amazing stunts Top Gun: Maverick to observe these incredible performances. But your nomination of Michelle Yeoh for Everything Everywhere Once it looks different and that you pay attention to indies.
iHorror brings you this list in the hopes that in the future you can recognize that horror movies are no longer just filler and the talent in them is no longer B-grade. You were almost there in 2018 with four nominations including The best pictureIt is for go out (winning one for Best Original Screenplay), but it has been rigorously reported that some of your “older” members did not just look at her.
It might be unpopular among your circle of esteemed board members to even suggest a horror film be on the ballot, but watch any of the films below and pay close attention to the performances. Yes, All quiet on the western front on Netflix it was phenomenal, but who actually watched it? More people followed Wednesday because of the talented Jenna Ortega (Scream, X) which only proves that your older voters do not feel the pulse of the generation.
We don’t want to detract from the great work this year’s nominees have done in their respective films. We suggest you consider thinking outside the (office) box in the future and nominate just a few actors/directors who are just as good as any of your traditional choices.
Mia Goth for Pearl or X
Since both movies came out in the same year, many people can’t decide which is their favorite. But what I do agree on is the star Mia Goth.
Her performances in both the films are range defining. From her conflicted but powerful role as Maxine into the X to her emotional and unflinching return as Pearl in the prequel, Goth is talented and the camera loves her. If you need an example, watch her go through every emotion in a tortured, fake smile just as the credits roll Pearl.
Maika Monroe for spectator
Maika has been acting since 2009, but as her career grows, so does her talent. In the past year spectatorthe actor left us in awe of her ability to make Julia a restless American fish out of water in the gothic city of Bucharest.
Not only that, she’s so scared she thinks she’s being followed by a creepy stranger, and her husband doesn’t support her. With little to do but react, Maika literally wears her emotions on her sleeve as she slowly slides into paranoid madness by the end of the film. It is art at its best.
Rebecca Hall for Resurrection
Another paranoid thriller from 2022, Resurrection puts Rebecca Hall in an abusive game of control. Although Resurrection is more of an offbeat horror film, Hall’s performance captures all the hallmarks of a woman being emotionally abused by demons from her past.
Then there’s that ending that’s so incredibly disturbing that we still can’t wrap our heads around it. Hall is an actor who can conform to any role and never feels forced. She becomes the character and sometimes so much, we forget it’s just a movie.
Timothée Chalamet for Bones and all
Chalamet wasn’t just a one-trick pony. He became an actor on the rise with serious influence. He was already nominated for an Academy Award for drama in 2018 call me by your name. It took a drastic turn when Lee entered Bones and all.
Not really a story for the faint of heart, but a good one nonetheless. Lee is a tortured young adult who must feed on human flesh to survive. But this cannibalistic tale has a twist; it’s also a love story.
Chalamet gives a great performance in this acclaimed film. He is able to make us feel empathy for the monster that he is, all the while trying to find peace. It’s a great performance, one that definitely deserves an Academy nod.
Taylor Russell for Bones and all
He stars with Chalamet in Bones and All is Russell. She is the ying to the yang when it comes to acting. There isn’t a moment in the film where she isn’t vulnerable and confused. She is a rising star who is not afraid to do different things, all of them fascinating.
Amber Midthunder for loot
This was the only snub that hits differently. Midthunder reaches new heights, singing against an invisible alien for part of the film. There is an innocence to her in the beginning that blossoms into a power of strength and courage by the end.
Of course, behind the scenes, many of her reactions are to a tennis ball and a green screen. Which makes her performance even more incredible. Academy, how could you?
Julia Stiles enters Orphan: The first kill
If there was an Oscar category for Best Motion Picture in a Horror Movie or Musical Bat Shit Crazy, Orphan: First Kill would take home top honors, perhaps in both. Although Isabelle Fuhrman as Esther plays a great psycho, it’s Julia Stiles’ performance that cements her place as one of 2022’s most memorable characters.
Completely convincing as a mother who questions reality, then becomes disoriented when the truth comes out, Stiles should at least get a nod from the Academy for her dedication and tireless work in Orphan: The first kill.
*Oscar is the copyrighted property and registered trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences