Guillermo Del Toro once told me that Terry Gilliam had sat him down at Cannes when [Del Toro] presented Pans Labyrinth, and said, Youll never get close to awards with this type of movie, recalls It Chapter 2" producer Barbara Muschietti. Thats changed.
Muschietti is on to something for one thing, in 2007, Pans went on to earn Del Toro his first Oscar nomination (for original screenplay). And last year, his Shape of Water swam away as best picture and saw Del Toro win the directing Oscar. But just what did Gilliam really mean when he warned against this type of movie?
Short answer? Horror. Cue screams from studio executives and marketing experts alike.
A lot of people dont think horror is a legitimate storytelling method, says John Palisano, author and president of Horror Writers Assn. Theyre associating it with slasher films, and not seeing it for the conduit of great storytelling it can be.
Yet horror or dark fantasy, or dark thrillers; the phrasing changes often to make it more palatable to audiences and awards voters has been undergoing a fresh wave of acceptance. This year, such films as The Lighthouse, Joker, Midsommar, It Chapter Two and Us are all in the awards season mix, discussed as potential nominees for their direction, story, costumes and acting all of which provides a new spice to the oh-so-serious dramatic year-end prestige fare thats usually on offer.
Still, many people recoil from the idea of horror movies.
At some point in everyones life they see a horror movie that isnt for them, says Us director Jordan Peele, whose 2017 Get Out shattered both box-office and awards expectations last year, earning a best picture nomination and an original screenplay win for Peele at the Oscars. That experience can make some people declare that they dont like horror. What they dont get to find out is that there is a spectrum of horror and that there is probably a horror movie for them.
Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson in the movie The Lighthouse.
(A24)
Lighthouse director Robert Eggers is ambivalent about how to classify his film. Focusing on two clashing lighthouse keepers stranded at their rocky outpost, the film uses many horror genre tropes, he says, but I personally dont see it as a horror movie. We need genre definitions to be able to talk about things, but people interpret things differently. Its certainly a genre movie. Not a drama. Not run of the mill.
However classified by the filmmakers themselves, well-made, thoughtful and well-acted horror films are not unheard of during award season: Psycho (1960) earned four Oscar nominations, Rosemarys Baby (1968) won one, The Exorcist (1973) won two, and The Silence of the Lambs (1991) won five, including best picture. But more dark films are making waves each year, distinguished in part from their schlockier cousins, thanks to better budgets and an undercurrent of metaphor or social commentary.
Horror is speaking to all generations in a way it never has before, says Palisano. In the 1950s, it gave people a way to deal with atomic fears; in the 60s, horror addressed societal change; again in the 70s, with consumerism, and the 80s, with AIDS. Now, the entire country is unified in a threat weve never had to face before: the threat from within. And it speaks to both sides [of the political divide].
Genre films tend to be overlooked when it comes to awards, says director Ari Aster, whose Midsommar is a trippy take on a vacation to a rural Swedish cults midsummer festival that goes very wrong. But films that tend to be more politically minded, or serve explicitly allegorical purposes are often the exception, and weve seen a lot of those exceptions lately. The horror genre is an exciting filter through which to pass more personal material.
Muschietti agrees. Get Out was a fantastic tool to deliver a message in a way that in a drama in another format would have been overlooked, she says. It hit the nail on the head.
About 10 years ago, says Eggers, a shift happened. Filmmakers discovered that you could get a personal story film financed if you wrapped it in a genre package, he says, and then cites such quality scary films as 2014s It Follows or 2010s Black Swan, both of which did solid box office (and in the case of Swan, earned star Natalie Portman an Oscar).
In addition, multiple generations of genre fans have grown up absorbing the extensive oeuvre of Stephen King, the master of modern horror. It isnt possible to pin the surge in dark, well-made stories on one author but the fact that adaptations of his work now draw Oscar- and Golden Globe-nominated acting talent shouldnt be underestimated.
Having Jessica Chastain and Bill Hader headlining a film like It makes all the difference in the world, says Palisano. That brings an entirely different class of viewer, wholl want to see what theyll do with material like this. And when people see its not just all blood and guts and screwdrivers to the thumbs, theyll see its more like a dark fairy tale.
That, in turn, can encourage filmmakers and studios alike to give horror the respect, and financing, it can deserve.
More and more audiences are now comfortable with some of the cinematic vocabulary that filmmakers are bringing to wide releases, says Eggers. Thats really a change in the climate.
Whether acceptance translates into statuettes, though, is still a great dark unknown. Im not sure what that means for awards, he continues. But it certainly means there are a lot of high-quality genre films being made.
See the article here:
'Joker,' 'Lighthouse': Past dark films may have paved the way to Oscars - Los Angeles Times
- AI In Late Night With The Devil Sparks Controversy - Forbes - March 24th, 2024
- A horror movie based on a Stephen King novel with a disappointing Rotten Tomatoes score is climbing Netflix's top 10 - Gamesradar - March 24th, 2024
- This is why we're so obsessed with nuns in horror movies - according to the official source, a nun - Gamesradar - March 24th, 2024
- Stephen King reveals the one horror movie he couldn't sit through as he was too scared - UNILAD - March 24th, 2024
- Late Night With the Devil directors address the use of AI art in the film - JoBlo.com - March 24th, 2024
- David Dastmalchian on Late Night with the Devil, The Life of Chuck and Good Fiend Films - Kansas City Pitch - March 24th, 2024
- Welcome to the Poohniverse: Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey Team to Unite Pooh, Bambi, Tinkerbell and More in Low-Budget Horror Crossover (EXCLUSIVE)... - March 24th, 2024
- Late Night with the Devil is the best horror movie of the year so far - Yahoo Movies Canada - March 24th, 2024
- Sydney Sweeney 'wanted to be drenched in blood' in 'Immaculate' - Entertainment Weekly News - March 24th, 2024
- Film of the Week: 'Stopmotion' - The best horror film of 2024 so far - Euronews - March 24th, 2024
- How to Watch Immaculate: Is the Sydney Sweeney Movie Streaming? - TheWrap - March 24th, 2024
- THE FIRST OMEN: A Battle With The Devil And An NC-17 Rating FANGORIA - FANGORIA - March 24th, 2024
- Elevated Horror: The New Wave of Artful Scares Taking Over Hollywood - LRM Online - March 24th, 2024
- Late Night With the Devil Plot Explained: The True Meaning of the Movie - The Direct - March 24th, 2024
- David Chase is directing his first film in 12 years. Its a horror movie. - NJ.com - March 24th, 2024
- Us Was The Box Office Hit That Gave Jordan Peele True Power In Hollywood - SlashFilm - March 24th, 2024
- Cast of 'Gremlins': Catch Up With the Stars of the '80s Hit - First For Women - March 24th, 2024
- 'Immaculate' Review: Sydney Sweeney Is Wide-Eyed but Sly - The New York Times - March 24th, 2024
- Sydney Sweeney explains that bloody 'Immaculate' ending - Entertainment Weekly News - March 24th, 2024
- When Will Sydney Sweeney's Horror Film, 'Immaculate,' Be Available to Stream? - AOL - March 24th, 2024
- Blumhouse to Return Insidious and Other Titles to Theaters for Halfway to Halloween Fest - Hollywood Reporter - March 16th, 2024
- Every Movie In The Wrong Turn Franchise Ranked - SlashFilm - March 16th, 2024
- Blumhouse Celebrating 'Halfway to Halloween' With Five Horror Movies Returning to 100 AMC Movie Theaters - Bloody Disgusting - March 16th, 2024
- DeWanda Wise Sings Creepy Theme Of New Horror Film: 'Imaginary' - The Root - March 16th, 2024
- Hostel: Part II (2007) WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? - JoBlo.com - March 16th, 2024
- New LEPRECHAUN Movie Will Be Funny, Scary And Full Of Practical Effects - FANGORIA - March 16th, 2024
- Blumhouse Celebrating Halfway to Halloween With Five Horror Movies Returning to 100 AMC Movie Theaters - IMDb - March 16th, 2024
- The Horror Nail-Biter On Max With A Controversial Ending - Giant Freakin Robot - March 16th, 2024
- "Says the person who was in Madame Web": Sydney Sweeney is Getting Skewered for Saying Modern Horror Movies ... - FandomWire - March 16th, 2024
- First trailer for horror movie reboot The Crow features an unrecognizable Bill Skarsgrd on a bloody mission of revenge - Gamesradar - March 16th, 2024
- You'll Never Find Me Is Unforgettable Horror, See The Terror In Action - Giant Freakin Robot - March 16th, 2024
- The First Omen star has seen all of your internet theories about the horror movie prequel and, well, they're all wrong - Gamesradar - March 16th, 2024
- Sltface take on horror movies with their new single, 'Final Grl' - Dork Magazine - March 16th, 2024
- From 'Five Nights at Freddy's' to 'Imaginary': Why Blumhouse loves PG-13 horror - theday.com - March 16th, 2024
- The First Omen's Big Death Reveal Really Doesn't Bode Well For The Prequel - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- 20 Scariest Horror Movies to Come Out in the Last 5 Years - MovieWeb - March 16th, 2024
- 'The Animal Kingdom' Exclusive Clip Previews the Gnarly Body Horror of Magnet's New Movie - Bloody Disgusting - March 16th, 2024
- 'Oddity' Review: This Supernatural Horror Film Will Tear You To Pieces | SXSW 2024 - Collider - March 16th, 2024
- "Marketing is failing this movie tremendously": David Dastmalchian's Late Night With the Devil Dubbed as One of the ... - FandomWire - March 16th, 2024
- STOPMOTION is a handcrafted tale of beauty and horror - Moviejawn - March 16th, 2024
- Horror Lovers Will Love this Dining Spot in Texas - klaq.com - March 8th, 2024
- Is Late Night With The Devil Based On A True Story? - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- Kooky King: 6 of the Weirdest Stephen King Film Adaptations - Nightmare on Film Street - March 8th, 2024
- The Unknown, the Viral Willy Wonka Experience Villain, Is Already Getting Their Own Horror Movie - IGN - March 8th, 2024
- 13 Original Horror Movies We Can't Wait to See in 2024 - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- From 'Imaginary' to 'Five Nights at Freddy's.' Why Blumhouse loves PG-13 horror - Los Angeles Times - March 8th, 2024
- Imaginary Movie Review: M3gan Meets The Boogeyman - Mama's Geeky - March 8th, 2024
- Christopher Nolan Originally Conceived Inception As A Horror Movie - SlashFilm - March 8th, 2024
- 'Whalefall' Movie in the Works From 'No One Will Save You' Director Brian Duffield - The Mary Sue - March 8th, 2024
- Horror Movie Based On THE UNKNOWN From Glasgow's WILLY WONKA Experience In The Works Horror Movie ... - CBM (Comic Book Movie) - March 8th, 2024
- Horrifying 'Late Night With The Devil' Trailer Released - Outkick - March 8th, 2024
- Imaginary review: M3GAN, take the wheel - Dexerto - March 8th, 2024
- The Unknown: Horror Movie Based on Unofficial Willy Wonka Experience Is in the Works - ComingSoon.net - March 8th, 2024
- Imaginary Film Review: Light on Frights - Loud And Clear Reviews - March 8th, 2024
- Dead Mail Directors on Their '80s Horror Influences - MovieWeb - March 8th, 2024
- HORROR BEAT: Blumhouse offers a non-update on the future of THE EXORCIST - Comics Beat - March 8th, 2024
- And the Oscar for best picture doesn't go to ... horror! - NPR - March 8th, 2024
- Shaitaan OTT Release: When And Where To Watch R Madhavan And Ajay Devgn Starrer Horror Thriller Film - Indiatimes.com - March 8th, 2024
- The 'Wonka Experience' Is Being Turned Into A Horror Movie - UPROXX - March 8th, 2024
- 8 new horror movies on Netflix, Max, Shudder and more in March 2024 - TechRadar - March 8th, 2024
- 10 Horror Movies More Deserving of the Best Picture Oscar Than the Winner - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- The Horror Movie That Inspired 'The Shining' Actually Scared Stephen King - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- 10 Most Anticipated Movies Of March 2024 (According To Real Data) - IMDb - February 28th, 2024
- 10 Best Classic Horror Movies with No Oscar Nominations - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- THE WATCHERS Trailer Puts Voyeuristic Creatures in the Irish Woods - Nerdist - February 28th, 2024
- Christopher Nolan Originally Conceived 'Inception' as a Horror Film - IMDb - February 28th, 2024
- The Watchers trailer: Dakota Fanning is stalked by the unknown - BGR - February 28th, 2024
- This Czech Horror Film Turns the Terror of 'The Zone of Interest' Into Weird Comedy - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- The Jennifer Lopez Horror Movie That's More Interesting Than It Seems - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- This '90s Kids Movie Is the Grossest Flick of All-Time - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- Eli Roth's Big 2024 Movie Couldn't Be More Different Than His Thanksgiving Horror Hit - Screen Rant - February 28th, 2024
- How The Butterfly Effect with Ashton Kutcher filled a void in US cinema - Post Magazine - February 28th, 2024
- 'Stopmotion' Review This Hand-Crafted Horror Film Is One of a Kind - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- 10 Tasty Horror Movies (Including Thanksgiving) Streaming on Netflix - Gizmodo - February 28th, 2024
- They Did the Mash, They Did the Monster Mash: 10 Epic Horror Crossovers You Can't Miss! - Nightmare on Film Street - February 28th, 2024
- 20 movies that mostly take place in one location - Yardbarker - February 28th, 2024
- Scream: What Happened To Jenna Ortega's Character? - GameRant - February 28th, 2024
- One of 2024's most anticipated horror sequels finally gets a promising update, as director teases "weird idea" for fourth ... - Gamesradar - February 28th, 2024
- DYK This Christopher Nolan Classic Was Conceived As A Horror Film? - Republic World - February 28th, 2024
- New Paranormal Activity Video Game Revealed by the Mortuary Assistant Team - Beebom - February 28th, 2024
Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero