Both critically and financially, 2017 has been one of the very best years in the entire history of the horror genre. We’ve seen some damn good horror films over the course of the past eleven months, and the smash hit success of many of them has ensured that the future of the genre is looking bright.
But will next year’s Academy Awards recognize horror’s stellar 2017? It’s no secret that the Academy very rarely gives much love to horror cinema – to date, The Silence of the Lambs remains the only film to grab the Best Picture statue – so it’s sadly not hard to imagine another ceremony that’s unfairly bereft of horror.
But maybe, just maybe, 2018 is the year the Academy can no longer ignore the genre.
Here are five horror movies released in 2017 that *could* be nominated in 2018…
1) GET OUT
The most likely horror film to be up for at least one Academy Award next year is Jordan Peele’s Get Out, which already swept the Gotham Awards, was nominated for a handful of Independent Spirit Awards, and is currently in the running for Golden Globes recognition (as, oddly enough, a comedy).
Peele’s socially relevant horror film was the perfect movie at the perfect time, tapping into the cultural zeitgeist and using the horror genre, as many of the best horror films have done over the years, to start important conversations about what’s really going on in the real world we all inhabit. It’s not out of the question for Peele to get Best Original Screenplay and/or Best Director nominations, and Daniel Kaluuya’s name has been brought up for potential Best Actor contention.
Additionally, Get Out realistically *could* become the rare horror film to get a Best Picture nomination. If any horror movie this year is in that running, it’s certainly this one.
2) IT
Andy Muschietti’s IT fired on all cylinders both behind and in front of the camera, leading to such massive box office success that it made headlines by becoming the highest grossing horror film in the history of cinema – if, that is, we’re not adjusting The Exorcist‘s numbers for inflation. If box office numbers dictated which films were nominated for Academy Awards, IT would certainly be in the running; that’s of course not the case, but we’re thinking it’s a pretty strong contender regardless.
Earlier this month, Warner Bros. very publicly lobbied for IT to be nominated in a handful of categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Score. The campaign no doubt shot for the stars, but there are a couple categories that we could definitely see IT being nominated in. The film likely has the best chance for grabbing a Best Makeup & Hairstyling nomination, while Best Costume Design and Best Cinematography are certainly also on the table.
In a just world, Bill Skarsgård would get a nom… but don’t count on it.
3) ALIEN: COVENANT
Ridley Scott’s latest prequel to his original Alien may not have gotten all that much love from horror fans, but like all of Scott’s films, one cannot argue against Alien: Covenant being a beautiful work of art to look at. But are those visuals Academy Award worthy?
The Alien franchise has had great success when it comes to the Academy Awards over the years, with the original film winning the Oscar for Best Visual Effects and being nominated in the Best Art Direction-Set Decoration category. Similarly, Aliens won two Oscars and was nominated for several more. Even Scott’s Prometheus was represented at the 2013 ceremony, nominated for Best Achievement in Visual Effects.
Especially given how much the Academy respects Ridley Scott, don’t be surprised to see Covenant get a shout-out for either Best Visual Effects or Best Production Design.
4) MOTHER!
This year’s crop of horror doesn’t get more boldly original than Darren Aronofsky’s arthouse head-trip, mother!. While the film failed to make much of a mark at the box office, it was easily one of the most talked about films within the horror community this year; opinion was divided, but most agreed that mother! is a film that’s hard to stop thinking about.
What did it all mean? Well, we’ll likely be talking about that for years to come.
Aronofsky’s films, including Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler and Black Swan, have proven to be Oscar powerhouses in the past, so one wouldn’t be too out of line to suggest that mother! could also scoop up a nomination or two. Considering mother! is one of the best-directed films of the year, Aronofksy very well could secure a Best Director nomination, and we’d also love to see Jennifer Lawrence up for the Best Actress trophy.
With three nominations and one win, Lawrence is no doubt an Academy favorite.
5) THE SHAPE OF WATER
Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water will not be widely released until next month, but it’s already been generating rave reviews as well as Academy Awards buzz. The tale of a deaf woman who falls in love with a sea monster, Del Toro’s take on The Creature from the Black Lagoon looks to be another magical fairytale from the master of adult fairytales; but will the film, like Pan’s Labyrinth before it, be an Academy darling next year?
Pan’s Labyrinth won three Oscars and was nominated for three others back in 2007, and The Shape of Water indeed could put Guillermo del Toro back on the Academy’s radar. Del Toro could earn himself a Best Director nomination for his latest film, and many have already been lobbying for Sally Hawkins in the Best Actress category. The film could also earn other nominations, potentially including Best Makeup & Hairstyling and Best Production Design.
Worth noting, Carla Gugino more than earned a Best Actress nomination for Gerald’s Game, but the Academy is torn on whether or not Netflix films are even eligible.
For shame.
