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Last year, Academy voters broke a frustrating trend by giving recognition to the often-overlooked horror genre: “Nosferatu” received four nominations, and “The Substance” garnered five, with the latter winning Best Makeup and Hairstyling. This has raised hope that the Academy may give the genre more recognition.
Academy voters are not required to watch every film released throughout the year. Compelling dramas, slice-of-life stories and period pieces tend to be favored above other categories.
Well, the 2026 Academy Award nominations are out, and the film community is stunned.
Two films that use key horror genre content are leading Oscar contenders. The first is Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” with nine nominations, and Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” with 16, making the latter the most nominated film in Oscar history. Such high numbers are unusual for horror films.
Only one film of this genre has won Best Picture: “The Silence of the Lambs,” which is also the third in Academy history to win all the Big Five awards.
This begs the questions: What does this suggest about the Academy’s perspective on horror films? And why do these two additions stand out in the genre?
Del Toro is no stranger to the Academy Awards. Films like “The Shape of Water” and stop-motion “Pinocchio” won him three Oscars, further solidifying his position as a significant force in filmmaking. His achievements consistently bring attention to the darker genres with his cinematic works.
One trend with some horror films is that the entertainment factors — the thrill of the adrenaline rush — and ambiance take priority over the narrative, which tends to possess one-dimensional characters and be full of plot cliches.
This explains why when horror films receive award nominations, it is typically for categories like makeup, sound, production and costume design — these are the stylistic aspects that evoke the intended emotions.
Del Toro’s films are captivating to look at. He is well known for his gothic approach to dark fantasy narratives, so it is no surprise that “Frankenstein’s” nominations include the ones mentioned above. Even so, storytelling still takes priority.
“The Shape of Water” focuses on human duality and the need for connection; “Pinocchio” on coping with loss and a search for identity; and “Frankenstein” on moral awareness and mortality.
These modern themes and characters, who evolve throughout the narrative, can resonate with contemporary audiences. This is one reason del Toro’s “Frankenstein” received strong recognition from the Academy.
Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” though a film set in drama, science fiction and a little horror, has set itself apart in the horror genre using a comparable approach.
Set in the Jim Crow era, the film incorporates race, cultural conflict, white supremacy, community and identity into its plot alongside exhilarating jump scares and graphic vampire violence to make a film that reflects society’s past and present horrors.
The characters are given their own histories and internal struggles, lending depth beyond their roles as horror archetypes. They are not only targets of the monster, as the genre’s tradition dictates, but also victims of a brutal social reality.
Coogler challenges the audience to examine whether their actions are justified by considering their outcomes and what constitutes a sin. These elements add much-needed depth to the plot, broadening its appeal to more than one audience. This is what the Academy is looking for in films.
While both “Frankenstein” and “Sinners” do not strictly fall into the traditional horror genre, but rather use elements of it to build on the sci-fi, they also serve as examples of the evolving horror genre. They prove that these films can have meaningful narratives and layered characters while balancing the thrills expected with the experience.
Reach Carlee Elders at entertainment@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.
