Horror, as a genre, remains as popular as ever in theaters. 2024 was a great year in this respect, with movies likeLonglegs,Alien: Romulus,Heretic, and, most recently,Robert Eggers’Nosferatuall faring well with audiences and finding success at the box office. When it comes to awards recognition, however, horror usually struggles to make much of a mark, especially at the Oscars, and especially in major categories like Best Picture.
Not including this most recent batch of nominations, only six horror movies have ever been nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, and only two after the year 2000.Black Swan(2010) andGet Out(2017) were previously the only two horror movies to earn this coveted nomination over the past 25 years, but the announcement of the2025 Oscar nomineestoday has just changed that. One buzzy 2024 horror title has now become the seventh ever horror movie to earn a Best Picture nomination.
Horror Fans React To The Substance’s Best Picture Nomination
Coralie Fargeat’s Gnarly Horror Has Accomplished A Major Feat
The Substancehas just earned a Best Picture nomination at the 2025 Oscars, and horror fans are taking to social media to express their enthusiasm. Directed by Coralie Fargeat, the 2024 horror flick stars Demi Moore as Elisabeth, an aging starlet who takes an experimental drug that creates a younger and better version of herself named Sue (Margaret Qualley).The Substancesreviewswere glowing from critics, but the film’s gore and gross-out elements seemed to make it an unlikely contender at the Oscars.
Every Horror Movie That’s Been Nominated For Best Picture & Which Won The Oscar
Horror movies have historically been looked down upon for the major awards, but there are a number of exceptions that have earned Oscar nominations.
FollowingThe Substance’s nomination for Best Picture, fans are sharing their thoughts on X, formerly Twitter, and Bluesky, expressing joy that such a gnarly horror movie has earned a nomination. In addition to Best Picture, the movie earned nominations for Best Actress for Moore, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling, with the reactions celebrating the film’s impressive accomplishments. Check out select reactions below:
“Happy for my horror freaks Nosferatu and The Substance getting some Oscar noms. Del Toro’s Frankenstein next year pls!” writesRayRay.
@Partybyy6969comments on a post highlighting thatThe Substanceis only the third horror movie of this century to earn a Best Picture nomination, writing: “Substance is so f–king good and deserves all the awards it gets.”
Emilyjoins in on the love for the horror film, exclaiming: “the substance nation we rise!!”
“The Substance getting a best picture Oscar Nom is the shining light we needed in this ever increasingly bleak world,” writesTrae P.on Bluesky.
Miles Blanketshares an especially enthusiastic, caps-heavy reaction, writing: “HOLY SH-T THE SUBSTANCE IS A BEST PICTURE NOMINEE,” with the rest of his post celebrating that a horror movie has a shot at Best Picture.
“Picturing the academy voters, looking exactly like the rich people the three stooges would work for, shattering their monocles watching The Substance,” jokesJacob Deldin Rich’s Game Dev Zone.
“The substance, nosferatu, and alien Romulus all have Oscar nominations,” writes@wickd-witch. “I’m so glad to be proven wrong that horror movies can be seen as Oscar worthy.”
Joe Russoshares an ethusiastic reaction as well, writing: “THE SUBSTANCE WAS NOMINATED FOR BEST PICTURE, BEST DIRECTOR, BEST ACTRESS AND BEST SCREENPLAY. HORROR IS SO F–KING BACK, BABY!!!!”
“the substance and nosferatu getting nominated at the oscars.. horror fans we’ve come so far,” writeseshaal.
Shayne Mathiswrites: “It is genuinely bananas that The Substance got nominated for a Best Picture Oscar and I hope they use a section from the last 20 minutes of the movie as the clip they show when they announce the nominees during the broadcast.”
What The Substance’s Best Picture Nomination Means For Horror
Why The Demi Moore Horror Movie Probably Won’t Win
The Substancemay have earned a Best Picture nomination, butit arguably doesn’t have a great chance at winning. TheacclaimedEmilia Pérezjust earned a record-breaking 13 nominations and has been a widely celebrated, though also very controversial, movie. Films likeAnora,The Brutalist, andWickedare also all widely seen as more likely candidates to win. WhereThe Substancestands the best chance to win is Best Makeup and Hairstyling, but Moore also has a shot at Best Actress.
Even thoughThe Substanceseems unlikely to actually win, it’s still a major accomplishment that it was nominated.The Oscars have historically been hesitant to nominate genre movies, with sci-fi also suffering in this regard. The nomination forThe Substancecould be a sign that the Oscars will become more welcoming to genre movies in the future, but the fact that it stands basically no chance of taking home the statue suggests there’s still a long way to go.
Source: Various (see above)
The Substance
Cast
Elisabeth Sparkle, a fading celebrity, turns to a mysterious drug that promises to restore her youth by creating a younger, more beautiful version of herself. But splitting time between her original and new body leads to horrifying consequences as her alternate self, Sue, begins to unravel her life in a disturbing body-horror descent.
