10 Oscar Nominated Performances In Horror Movies

10 Oscar Nominated Performances In Horror Movies

Horror movies often get overlooked when awards season comes around, but these performances broke the mold.

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Though many horror movies have been proven successes with critics and at the box office, the genre has had a difficult time getting noticed by the Oscars. In recent years, critically acclaimed horror films like Hereditary and Us have been snubbed by Oscar voters despite featuring some amazing performances.

While the shutouts are noticeable, there are some horror movie performances that have caught the attention of the Academy. Regardless of their genre, it was agreed that these performances were worth highlighting as being truly great. Though a rare occurrence, it is always nice to see the horror genre getting some recognition.

10 Kathy Bates – Misery (1990)

Even Stephen King, one of the most popular writers in horror, doesn’t get much attention from the Oscars when his films are adapted. However, there was no denying the power of Kathy Bates’ performance as Annie Wilkes in Misery.

Wilkes is a lonely and deranged woman who rescues her favorite author from a car accident and lets him recuperate in her home. But soon the author finds he is being held captive. Bates does an amazing job with a performance that leaves you on your toes. She is an admiring fan at one moment and a cold-blooded killer at the next.

9 Willem Dafoe – Shadow Of The Vampire (2000)

While he was recently snubbed by the Oscars for his amazing turn in the horror film The Lighthouse, Willem Dafoe proved such performances can get noticed with his supporting turn in Shadow of the Vampire.

The darkly comedic horror film tells the fictional story of the making of the film Nosferatu. Dafoe plays Max Schreck, the actor who played the titular vampire in the classic movie. however, this film suggests Schreck was, in fact, a real vampire the filmmakers hired for the ambitious project. Dafoe is quite unrecognizable under the heavy makeup yet still manages to be charming and unsettling all at once.

8 Fredric March – Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde (1931)

Though actors like Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff became icons for playing the classic Universal monsters like Frankenstein and Dracula, they never received Oscar nominations for their work. However, Fredric March was able to score a nomination for bringing one classic horror monster to the big screen.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde told the story of a scientist who creates a formula that transforms him into a deranged mad man. March essentially took on dual roles, but he is legitimately frightening as the animalistic Mr. Hyde.

7 Linda Blair – The Exorcist (1973)

Seeing as The Exorcist is considered one of the best horror films ever made, it’s not too surprising that it managed to break the Oscars’ prejudice against the genre. While Ellen Burstyn and Jason Miller received nominations, the standout performance is certainly Linda Blair as Regan.

Blair does a fine job playing Regan as the sweet and innocent young girl, but it is when Regan becomes possessed by a demon that Blair’s talents really shine through. She manages to turn this little girl into a shocking and horrific embodiment of evil.

6 Sigourney Weaver – Aliens (1986)

While many still debate whether Alien or Aliens is the better overall film, Sigourney Weaver does get to go full action hero in the second film. Returning as Ripley, Weaver becomes a true badass as she leads a team of marines against the deadly xenomorphs.

Weaver’s nomination is one of the few times the Oscars have embraced acting in a blockbuster film like this. She helped make Ripley an icon who audiences were ready to stand up and cheer for in the midst of the alien terror.

5 Janet Leigh – Psycho (1960)

Alfred Hitchcock delivered one of the most iconic and shocking horror films of all time with Psycho. While Hitchcock’s brilliant talent is certainly the major reason for the film’s legacy, Janet Leigh’s role as Marion Crane can not be overlooked.

For much of the movie, Leigh is the protagonist as we follow this young woman who flees the big city and stops in at the Bates Motel. Leigh’s performance as one of the first “scream queens” makes it all the more shocking when she is killed off halfway through the film.

4 Haley Joel Osment – The Sixth Sense (1999)

Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan became one of the hottest directors in Hollywood with his massively successful horror film The Sixth Sense. Two lasting aspects of this excellent film is the shocking ending and Haley Joel Osment’s performance.

Osment plays a lonely young boy who is tormented by his ability to see dead people. For such a young actor, Osment brings so much heartbreaking intensity to the pivotal role. Even his delivery of the line “I see dead people” is an unforgettable moment in film history.

3 Daniel Kaluuya – Get Out (2017)

Jordan Peele’s directorial debut, Get Out, is a recent example of a horror movie that is so impactful it manages to get the Oscars’ attention. Daniel Kaluuya plays a young Black man who joins his white girlfriend on a trip to meet her family. Things quickly turn bizarre.

The movie brilliantly balances social commentary with some pretty outlandish ideas. However, the whole thing is grounded by Kaluuya’s honest and astounding performance. He mixes humor, heroics, and heartbreak all into this stunning breakout role.

2 Sissy Spacek – Carrie (1976)

Another Stephen King adaptation that is considered a horror masterpiece by many is Carrie. Sissy Spacek stars as the titular high school girl whose harsh upbringing by her religious mother makes her a social outcast. As she continues to get tormented by her classmates, she discovers she possesses incredible powers.

Spacek has a very difficult role, playing the victim for much of the movie before becoming a terrifying monster. She is totally effective at walking this fine line which allows the audience to feel sorry for Carrie yet still fear her.

1 Anthony Hopkins – The Silence Of The Lambs

In The Silence of the Lambs, audiences were given one of the greatest cinematic villains of all time in the form of Hannibal Lecter. While most of the film follows Jodie Foster’s young FBI agent tracking a serial killer, the movie’s highlights are whenever Lecter appears on screen.

Hopkins creates a villain who is unsettling to look at with his probing and hungry eyes, yet we cannot take our eyes off him. It is not surprising Hopkins managed to win the Best Actor trophy with just 16 minutes, as it is a commanding performance.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/oscar-nominated-performances-horror-movies/

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