The only horror film to win the prestigious Best Film award at the Academy Awards.
Tl;dr
- The horror genre is often overlooked by the Academy Awards.
- “The Silence of the Lambs” won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1992, a first for a horror film.
- Several horror films deserve recognition from the Academy.
The horror genre: between contempt and recognition
Horror cinema, despite its crucial importance in the cinematographic landscape, is often relegated to the background by the Academy of Oscars. Yet it is a genre that has produced many talented directors, fostered countless technical innovations and contributed significantly to the evolution of cinematic language. To ignore horror is to ignore the very essence of cinema.
So why does this genre continue to be mistreated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences? The answer lies in a mix of outdated opinions regarding culture and art, and the endless debate between elitist art and populism. Horror films are often disdained for their apparent “cheapness”, reduced to the label of “B-movies”, and sometimes even accused of moral irresponsibility.
The Silence of the Lambs: a historic victory for horror
Yet sometimes the artistry, popularity, and impact of a horror film are too great to ignore. That’s precisely what happened in 1992, at the 64th Academy Awards, when Jonathan Demme’s “The Silence of the Lambs” not only won awards for best director, best actor, best actress and best screenplay adapted, but also became the first horror film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. As of today, in 2024, it remains the only horror film to have received this honor.
Horror films worthy of recognition
Since then, although many horror films have achieved the same level of depth and mastery as “The Silence of the Lambs,” none have been deemed worthy of the grand prize. David Fincher’s “Se7en”, M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Sixth Sense”, Ari Aster’s “Hereditary” and Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” are all examples of films that deserved greater recognition from the Academy.
It is high time that the Academy once again recognized the excellence of horror cinema by awarding it the Oscar for best film. After all, it is one of the most innovative and relevant genres of our time, capable of captivating audiences while offering critical reflection on our society.
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