WhileThe Substance’s Best Picture nomination is impressive on its own merits, one aspect of the horror movie’s genre makes it particularly surprising.Revengedirector Coralie Fargeat’sThe Substanceis a wild body horror with a broad sense of dark humor and one of the most audaciously gruesome endings in recent Hollywood history.Demi Moore’s fearless turn inThe Substanceis a career-best role, but until a few weeks ago, it seemed vanishingly unlikely that this part would be recognized by the Academy. After all, it is common knowledge that the Oscars rarely award horror movies.
No matter how popular they may be, horror movies are almost never in contention for Best Picture. Throughout the history of the awards, only seven have even been nominated. While 1973’sThe Exorcistand 1975’sJawsare an unapologetic possession movie and monster movie respectively, 1990’sThe Silence of the Lambsis a psychological thriller rather than an outright supernatural horror. Similarly, 2010’sBlack Swanleaves its supernatural elements ambiguous, while 2017’sGet Outis an ambitious social satire as much as a straightforward horror.The Substance’s endingproves it is different.
The Substance Is The First Body Horror Movie To Be Nominated For Best Picture
The Other Six Horror Movies Nominated For Best Picture Belonged To Other Sub-genres
Although Fargeat’s movie has a lot to say about the entertainment industry and its satirical blows are roughly as subtle as a hammer to the head,The Substanceis a full-blown body horror movie at its core. In contrast, none of the other horror movies nominated for Best Picture fit into this infamously divisive sub-genre. 1999’sThe Sixth Senseis as much of a tragic drama as it is a horror movie and, although it does feature explicitly supernatural story elements, its gore quotient is almost non-existent.
The Substance’s many unanswered questions prove that the movie is mostly a body horror story concerned primarily with the grotesque symbiotic relationship between Moore’s aging star and Margaret Qualley’s ruthlessly ambitious younger version of her.
At a push, a contrary reader could potentially suggest that bothBlack SwanandGet Outinclude some elements of body horror thanks to the heroine’s imagined transformation into her titular Swan Lake character andGet Out’s implied off-screen body-snatching. However, first and foremost, they are very clearly psychological horror and satirical sci-fi horror respectively. In contrast,The Substance’s many unanswered questionsprove that the movie is mostly a body horror story concerned primarily with the grotesque symbiotic relationship between Moore’s aging star and Margaret Qualley’s ruthlessly ambitious younger version of her.
Body Horror Movies Have Never Been Critically Reputable (But The Substance Could Change That)
Body Horror’s Gross-out Imagery Makes Awards Nominations A Rare Reward
What makesThe Substance’s Best Picture nomination so striking and unexpected is the fact thatbody horror movies have never been taken seriously by the Academy in earlier years. David Cronenberg, the undisputed critical darling of the sub-genre, has never even been nominated for Best Picture, despite his many other accolades. Throughout his multi-decade career, Cronenberg has won the Special Jury prize at Cannes, the Silver Bear at Berlin, the Golden Lion at Venice, and competed for the Palme d’Or 7 times. He is one of the most celebrated and influential directors to never receive a single Oscar nomination.
As such, it is striking and exciting to seeThe Substanceopen up new possibilities for directors working in the previously disreputable genre.The Substance’s Elizabeth and Suemake for particularly compelling protagonists, but their shared ordeal is no more award-worthy than Brundlefly’s horrifying end in 1986’sThe Flyor Agatha Rouselle’s tour de force turn inTitane. Body horror has always offered viewers award-worthy performances, butThe Substance’s success means that these parts might now be recognized by the Academy.
The Substance’s Best Picture Nomination Could Change Hollywood’s Attitude Toward Horror
Recent Years Have Seen Major Horror Hits Repeatedly Snubbed
Ever sinceGet Outwon Jordan Peele his Best Original Screenplay Oscar, there has been a cultural conversation about the Academy’s consistent sidelining of the genre. Considering how many Oscar nominations sci-fi movies likeDuneand genre outliers likeEverything Everywhere All At Oncereceived, it is striking that horror has largely been left out in the cold. Acclaimed performances like Florence Pugh’s turn inMidsommar, Mia Goth’s title role inPearl, Toni Colette’s part inHereditary, and Lupita Nyong’o’s uniquely challenging dual roles inUsnever received Best Actress nominations in their respective years.
Fortunately,The Substance’s success could pave the way for the Oscars to recognize more acclaimed horror moviesand further the critical legitimization of the genre. WhileThe Substance’s storyproved particularly resonant with Academy voters, there is no reason to think its success will be a one-time fluke. Horror movies have won the Palme d’Or and every other major industry award, meaning the Academy is unique in its decision to sideline the genre. Attempts to refuse the horror genre, including gorier sub-genres like body horror, a degree of critical respectability have clearly failed, judging byThe Substance’s success.
