The Oscars have not only awarded serious, historical or cult films, although superheroes are not included, some monster and horror films have won some Academy statuettes and we list them below.
Only six of the following have been nominated for Best Picture, and only one has won this coveted statuette over all the existing categories.
1. The Exorcist (1973)
This iconic horror film was nominated by the Academy Awards in 10 categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography, Art Direction, Best Editing, Best Sound.
Finally, it won the statuette for Best Adapted Screenplay, since William Peter Blatty, author of the original novel, himself adapted the screenplay for the film.
This was the first time a horror film was nominated for the Academy Awards and was also historically the most nominated film of its kind.
2. “The Prophecy” (1976)
This iconic film won the Academy Award for the theme song “Ave Satani” for Best Original Song, although it was also nominated for Best Score.
This film was followed by two sequels, a remake in 2006 and a prequel to be released in 2024.
3. “Alien” (1979)
The first film in the saga, which continues in production until 2024, won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and was also nominated for Best Art Direction.
4. “Dracula” (1992)
Also a cult film, it won three out of four Oscar nominations: Best Costume Design, Best Makeup, and Best Sound Editing.
5. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Although it didn’t earn more nominations than The Exorcist, it won five of the seven awards it was nominated for: Best Picture, Best Director (Jonathan Demm), Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Best Actress (Jodie Foster) and best screenplay (Ted Tully).
6. “Misery” (1990)
Based on Stephen King’s novel, this film was awarded for the incredible work of its lead actress Kathy Bathes, who won the Academy Award for Best Actress.
The actress gave life to a writer’s fan, who saves him and will do unimaginable things to keep him by her side forever.
7. ‘Run away!’ (2017)
The film, which deals with the issue of white supremacy and racism, won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and was also nominated for Best Actor (Daniel Kaluuya), Director (Jordan Peel) and Best Picture.
8. “Godzilla minus one” (2023)
This 2024 marks the first time a Godzilla film has been nominated and the first time Japan has won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
9. Jaws (1975)
Steven Spielberg’s film was nominated in four categories: Best Picture, Best Editing, Best Sound and Best Music. And, although it was not recognized as Best Picture, it won the other three Oscars.
10. Black Swan (2010)
Although this film does not have monsters nor is it considered horror as such, it does handle psychological horror and it is exactly Natalie Portman who won the Oscar for Best Actress for all this weight in the film.
Other nominations the film received were Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Editing and Best Director (Darren Aronofsky).
Other horror films that have been nominated, though did not win any awards
It is also worth mentioning the film “The Sixth Sense”, which, although it did not win an Oscar, was nominated in 1999 in six categories: Best Film, Best Editing, Supporting Actor (Haley Joel Osment), Supporting Actress (Toni Collette), Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay (M. Night Shyamalan).
“The Lighthouse” in 2019 was also nominated for best picture, without winning the award, but it was recognized for its great work and gave Robert Pattinson more visibility for his acting skills.
Source: univision
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
