Ti West, the man making the rounds in Hollywood with his latest film,MaXXXine, has a few words about the industry’s notorious disdain for the horror genre. The director responsible fortheXsaga,which stars modern scream queenMia Goth, is currently promoting the third film in the franchise. Naturally, with a performance like Goth’s, especially in the prequel,Pearl, the conversation about the Oscars and the Academy’s lack of recognition for horror performances was going to start at some point, and West has added a bit of spice to the mix.
In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx lands her big break, but her rise to stardom is jeopardized by a mysterious killer targeting starlets. As the body count rises, secrets from Maxine’s past threaten to surface, intertwining her quest for fame with a deadly game of survival.
Inan interview with The Hollywood Reporter, West has shared his opinion about the somewhat snobby attitude of the Academy and their contempt for genre movies, especially horror. When asked about Goth’s incredible performance as Pearl and Maxine and whether the Academy will ever change its positionabout horror performances, West says:
“It depends on the movie, it depends on the campaign. It’s complicated. It’s something that I have never experienced, but it’s not as simple as someone being good in a movie and then they get a nomination. It’s a more dense industry-oriented thing than that. So it’s just a matter of the right performance at the right time and with the right campaign. It’s a whole bunch of work, frankly, to be on the trail for something like that.”
Traditionally, genre is not thought of for that, but I don’t think it’s by any means impossible. I mean,Silence of the Lambsis a great example [having won five Oscars on seven nominations]. I thinkThe Sixth Sensewas nominated for [six] Oscars. Jordan Peele, too.
West has a point. The film industry has shifted its views in recent years. It just has to tilt itself more toward the recognition of the black sheep of the family. Yes, A24’s role inmaking arthouse horror accessibleis a thing of beauty, and their films are getting more recognized each year as award-worthy. Needless to say, “elevated horror” is a fad that has fortunately faded, and film connoisseurs no longer need an excuse to admit sometimes horror is artistic and relevant to more scholarly perspectives. It’s a matter of time before performances like Mia Goth’s are mentioned on the ballots.
The Academy’s Weird Relationship with Horror
Since the industry started recognizing the best of the best, some horror “warriors” have made a great point in, at least, asking the right questions:What does horror have that the Academy is afraid of? A performance is a performance, regardless of genre, so why didn’t Toni Collette or Lupita Nyong’o get nominated forHereditaryorUs? Where exactly is the line that divides an Oscar-worthy performance from the perfect performance that the Academy rejects? Only a handful of times have horror films been awarded on Hollywood’s most important night. There have been plenty of nominations, but only some have actually been announced as winners.
Among those that have bucked the trend areThe Silence of the Lambs,which walked away with the big five Oscars,Misery, The Exorcist, andRosemary’s Baby. WhetherMaxxxinecan be the next surprise winner of a statuette is something we will find out when next year’s Academy Awards rolls around.
15 Actors Whose Best Performance Is in a Horror Movie
Considered the best in the industry, the following actors showed their talents in the best way in a horror film.
Ti West’sMaXXXineis currently playing exclusively in theaters.
