The Academy's Rejection of Genre Films in 2019

Genre films continue to grow up, but the Academy seems set in its old ways.

By: Josh McCormack

It's a criticism almost as old as the Oscars themselves; "The Academy Awards don't nominate sci-fi and horror films."

I'm not going to go into this for the millionth time. 

Even those who don't call themselves film buffs are annoyed when their favorite movies aren't respected at the Oscars. I remember being in eighth grade and a bunch of Potterheads would freak out whenever Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 got snubbed in a major awards ceremony. And of course little pretentious me would roll his eyes every time someone actually thought it had a chance. 

With some exceptions, the Academy does not give awards to movies that aren't considered "adult". And as a kid growing up in the late 90s and early 2000s, the sci-fi movies and horror flicks under the creative force of Roland Emmerich or Michael Bay were never really designed to be adult. In other words, no one was going to give Armageddon or the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre an award. 

Of course there were still higher end genre films at the time, but these were most definitely art house and ones that would not find themselves in any local multiplex when I was a little kid. 

However, over the past few years, the Michael Bays of the world have begun to step down and audiences seem to want more crisp direction and structured screenplays to go along with their fantastical stories. 

It is this desire that has led to competently made superhero films of the MCU and well structured horror films from Blumhouse. 

It is this hunger mixed with cultural impact that has led to a film like Black Panther to get nominated for best picture this year. Much like Get Out last year, the cultural relevance was too huge for the Academy to ignore, leading to the seemingly stuck-up institution nominating a film genre they would not usually pay any attention to. 

This has also led to an interesting shift in the independent and art house film worlds. The horror films and heavy sci-fi movies that were almost impossible to find unless you were a massive consumer of cult cinema have finally begun to find a market. This has led to more difficult genre films like Hereditary having an angle that would allow them to be available to a more general audience. 

But what shocks me about this change of attitudes on the Academy's part, is that they still aren't willing to dig very deep when looking for genre films to nominate. At least not in the same way they do when choosing traditional dramas or period pieces. 

For example, A Star is Born and Hereditary both had remarkable screenings at multiple film festivals met with practically equal amounts of critical acclaim, but it's Bradley Cooper's tearjerker that was destined to become an awards darling while Hereditary was destined to fall into the loving arms of cult film fanatics. Yet, I can't be alone in saying that the viewing experience of Hereditary in a theater was more impactful than almost anything I saw in theaters in the past year.

Part of the reason the Academy and other award institutions didn't give Hereditary any love was because there was no public outcry to make them do so. It did not have the cultural impact of a Black Panther or a Get Out which meant it wasn't waved under the nose of Academy voters, which is what is needed when trying to get any genre film acclaimed. 

Plus Toni Collette out acts Lady Gaga in almost every way in Hereditary, but I digress.

But, whatever. It's a rarity when indie horror movies get anywhere near a nomination for best picture. What about technical awards? Cinematography, editing and makeup are some of genre films' most tailor made award categories. 

And yet, no sci-fi or horror films are found in these categories. 

When I think of incredible images from this past year in movie going, I can't help but think of something like Rob Hardy's incredible cinematography for Annihilation. The female-centric, hard science fiction film from writer/director Alex Garland.

The entire film literally takes place between a filter that warps the sunlight as it shines through it. It's a subtle effect, but Garland and Hardy use it to form some incredible images, especially in the film's wild final act.

And since I'm talking about unforgettable images, I can't forget my favorite film of 2018, Mandy. Panos Cosmatos' psychedelic horror/revenge movie is a symphony of unforgettable shots. Each of which look like David Lynch's take on a 'Heavy Metal' cover.

Practically every major awards ceremony has dismissed both Annihilation and Mandy.

When it comes to editing and makeup, no one can deny that Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria was phenomenal in both respects.

Now, of course, the film has its detractors (I personally loved it) but even the staunchest critic must be willing to applaud Mark Couiler's incredible make-up effects. Coulier was not only able to create some wonderfully horrific gore sequences, but he also made Tilda Swinton up for three different characters. One of which was an elderly German man and it left audiences debating on the identity of the actor all the way until the film's release. 

Now, of course cinematic make-up legend, Greg Cannom did a tremendous job for Vice and rightfully deserves a nomination, but Suspiria displays practical makeup effects at their finest and it's a shame the Academy would not even grant a genre film that satisfaction this year. 

Suspiria is also a masterclass in editing. 

Just watch the opening sequence or the mesmerizing "Volk" sequence online and you'll be understandably frustrated that this movie would lose a spot on the list of nominees to make room for the incoherently edited Bohemian Rhapsody.

Genre movies have had a rough time at the Oscars for decades now. With the exception of films that are considered cultural milestones for the time, it's rare we see the Academy give major awards to films of this type at all.

But to dismiss them even on a technical level is somewhat baffling in a year that was full of boundary pushing horror and science fiction. 

By nominating a film like Black Panther (a film I do love, by the way), the Academy is showing it's willing to nominate genre films, but only ones that are so embedded in the cultural zeitgeist that they would be run out by an angry mob if they didn't nominate it.

In the future I would like to see the voters of the Academy dig deeper if they're going to find sci-fi or horror films to nominate. Especially since these films have grown so mature as of late. 

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But I guess that might be asking too much from the people who won't even give any nods to Eighth Grade or Won't You Be My Neighbor.