The 95th Oscar nominations include several monumental choices, as well as disappointments. One such disappointment was Nope getting overlooked. Despite critical praise, box office success and campaign efforts, the Jordan Peele film received no nominations. Nope didn't even get a nod in the technical categories, where many blockbusters find success. Plus, for a movie where the effects, cinematography and sound are some of the biggest selling points, it’s shocking that Nope -- a movie that is a love letter to film crews -- was ignored.
While Nope is one of the biggest blockbusters of 2022 and is a film by Jordan Peele, who won an Oscar for Get Out’s screenplay several years ago, the fact this film falls in the horror genre did not do it any favors. Horror constantly gets ignored by this award show, and even though 2022’s horror catalog delivered plenty of notable films, none were recognized.
The Academy Awards Have a Horrific Reputation With Horror
Horror as a genre is broad. By some definitions, it is a story meant to elicit fear, while others define it as a narrative where unnatural and frightening things happen. That means there is plenty of room to take liberties with the genre, hence why there are so many sub-genres like monster movies, thrillers, slasher flicks, etc. But while there is a lot covered in the horror genre, only two films from the horror world have won Best Picture: The Silence of the Lambs (a thriller) and The Shape of Water (a monster movie). The former is also one of the few horror films to bolster Oscars in the following categories: Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Director and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published. Meanwhile, some of the most memorable performances in recent years, like Lupita Nyong'o in Us and Toni Collette in Hereditary, were not even nominated.
Horror films are also technical marvels, from sound design to practical effects. However, even in those regards, these films are overlooked by the Academy. For instance, A Quiet Place -- a movie where the story is dependent on sound -- lost to Bohemian Rhapsody for Sound Editing. Also, It -- which features one of the most iconic makeup designs of the 2010s -- was not even nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, while Suicide Squad won.
That is not to discredit the achievements of these winning films. But it's telling that most horror movies that deliver iconic, impactful performances, technical achievements, stories and more get left in the dark. And when the horror genre often celebrates original ideas and underrepresented filmmakers, it's difficult to watch as the Academy ignores what's new in the industry.
The 95th Oscars Ignored Some of 2022’s Best Movies
2022 had no shortage of excellent horror films that deserve their time to shine. However, to no surprise, the 95th Oscars has no horror movies in any category. For instance, Mia Goth delivered an iconic performance and carried the film Pearl, a critical darling. But similar to Nyong'o and Collette, she did not receive a nomination. Meanwhile, Nope was ignored on all fronts, even though it was Movie of the Year at the AFI Awards. As aforementioned, Nope is another technical masterpiece, but it’s more than that. The two leads -- Keke Palmer and Daniel Kaluuya -- had excellent chemistry, while Peele’s writing and directing led to a layered narrative that was entertaining, tension-filled and raised interesting questions.
On the streaming front, Prey was widely praised and broke records for Hulu. While the Oscars' rules about streaming films have been lucid over the years, it's fair to bring up Prey when it delivered outstanding VFX and practical effects via the Predator costume and makeup. Along with that, Amber Midthunder became one of the most captivating actors of the year.
Even animated films featured remarkable horror stories, including Wendell and Wild and Mad God. Both films are stop-motion, a major feat. While this form of animation is getting its flowers with Pinocchio's nomination, that doesn’t mean other animated features like this should get overlooked, especially when Wendell and Wild critiqued the prison industrial complex and addressed trauma and grief. Meanwhile, Mad God was a technical wonder on all fronts. A bigger outlier like Terrifier 2 had little to no chance of a nomination. However, its producers campaigned for a Best Makeup and Hairstyling nomination. Given the extremes the film went to with its practical effects, it deserves praise and recognition, even when it is one of the most gruesome films to come out this year.
2022 was a solid year for film on all fronts. While competition is tight across the board, seeing the Oscars yet again ignore horror films in every category is disheartening for fans of the genre and cinephiles who see themselves welcomed and celebrated in this genre. While an Oscar does not determine a film's worth, it's telling to see one of the biggest award shows in Hollywood continuously ignore an entire genre and its contributions to the industry.