The terms horror movie and Best Picture may not sound like they belong in the same sentence. When it comes to the Academy Awards, drama is typically the genre that takes centre stage each year. However, every so often, a horror movie defies the odds and lands the coveted nod.
While the horror genre has become more accepted over the last few decades, 2026 may be the big, defining moment. Sinners was nominated for a staggering 16 awards, making it the most nominated film of all time. But how does it match up to previous Best Picture nominees? Here are all 8, ranked.
8. The Substance (2024)
Historically, the Oscars have nominated horror movies that exist within the psychological realm. Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance unapologetically leans into the wet, tactile world of extreme body horror, whilst also exploring the intense pressures women face as they age and chase beauty. The plot follows Elisabeth (Demi Moore), a dimming celebrity who takes a cell-replicating substance that helps her create a younger, better version of herself. However, she struggles to keep up with her new younger self (portrayed by Margaret Qualley), leading her to age severely and rapidly.
Frequently described as a “splatter” or “gross out” body horror, The Substance is easily the goriest movie ever nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. In total, it was nominated for five Oscars and won in the Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling category. Despite not winning Best Director, much of the film’s precision can be accredited to Fargeat, who transitioned from gritty but basic revenge flicks to unique multi-layered horror.
7. Black Swan (2010)
Black Swan represents “prestige horror”, blending the high art of ballet with intense and disorientating psychological terror. Natalie Portman took home the gold for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her rendition as committed but unstable dancer, Nina. Balancing on the edge of stardom, Nina is pushed to her limits by her artistic director and a seductive rival (Mila Kunis), causing her sense of reality to slip and plunging her into a bizarre, waking nightmare.
What director Darren Aronofsky does so masterfully with this film is drip feed the chaos. Starting out as a drama, the movie slowly but surely shifts into thriller territory, shrouding us in anxiety as we witness Nina’s mental descent. By the end of the picture, we’re engulfed in full-on horror, unable to escape the brutal transformation of this young woman as she destroys herself and those around her.
6. Sinners (2025)
While some have called the movie overhyped, Sinners is a ground-breaking work of art. What starts out as a crime drama quickly unravels into a rich exploration of an era that is not so often dealt with authentically. Following twin brothers Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan), the plot sees them set up an illegal party in Jim Crow Mississippi only to be surrounded by a herd of blood-sucking vampires.
While horror movies don’t make their way to the Oscars that often, ambitious epics do. Ryan Coogler crafted a film that is terrifying and exhilarating in the right moments, but heart-breaking, historically eye-opening, and poignant in others, therefore transcending its status as simply a horror movie. With its astonishing 16 nominations, including Best Picture, Sinners represents the true arrival of horror at the Oscars. Celebrated across the board, this horror movie isn’t a guest – it’s the guest of honor.
5. The Sixth Sense (1999)
The Sixth Sense was the first horror movie to be nominated for Best Picture in eight years when it stormed in 2000. Although it didn’t take home any wins from its six nominations, it has maintained its position as one of the greatest horror movies ever made. Following child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis), the story sees him attempt to mentally mend Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), a disturbed young boy who communicates with the dead.
This masterclass in eerie suspense introduced us to M. Night Shyamalan, setting the stage for a prosperous career in horror/thriller cinema. With its iconic plot twist, its legacy lives on despite its failure to win any Academy Awards. The film proved that horror could be both commercially massive and critically respected, paving the way for future genre entries in the Best Picture race.
4. Jaws (1975)
By opening on over 450 screens simultaneously with heavy TV advertising, Jaws went on to be widely considered as the first true modern summer blockbuster. Grossing over $470 million in global box office revenue against a $9 million budget, this smash hit put Steven Spielberg on the map. Although he was surprisingly snubbed for Best Director, the film landed four nominations and only lost in the Best Picture category.
At first considered a straight-up horror movie, Jaws quickly established itself as much more than that. With its rich character studies, dark humor, and action scenes, Spielberg flipped the horror genre on its head and popularized the creature feature realm. The Academy’s acceptance of a blockbuster movie changed the landscape of awards season for life.
3. Get Out (2017)
Despite being a horror movie released outside of the typical window for contention, Get Out surprised many with its four nominations, including Best Picture. Jordan Peele‘s deep and disturbing look at social and racial issues was lauded for its critical acclaim, cultural impact, and box-office success. Transitioning from sketch comedy to horror filmmaking, Peele became the fifth Black director nominated for an Oscar and the first to receive nominations for Best Picture, Directing, and Writing in his debut feature.
Although Get Out didn’t go home with the top prize, Peele won in the Best Original Screenplay category. This film changed the game by introducing social horror to the mainstream, refining a genre that had become trope heavy. However, what it did best was prove that horror is often the best lens to examine modern racial tensions.
2. The Exorcist (1973)
The Exorcist was the first horror movie to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Released in 1973, it earned 10 nominations at the 46th Academy Awards the following year. Although it lost out on the coveted Best Picture to The Sting, it is still widely regarded as one of the greatest horror movies ever made, with its inspiration felt in terror flicks every year.
At the time of its release, The Exorcist was nothing short of shocking. Reports of ambulances parked outside of movie theaters to tend to people having panic attacks, people vomiting, and others passing out from sheer overwhelm. This only helped the film’s success, going on to gross $441 million worldwide against a $12 million budget thanks to the public’s sense of morbid curiosity.
1. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Part mystery, part crime thriller, and full-on horror – The Silence of the Lambs is a movie that has it all. In 1991, horror had begun to become constrained to slasher tropes; teenagers being picked off one by one, masked murders on kill-crazy rampages. Jonathan Demme‘s nuanced take on the genre flipped all of that on its head.
To date, The Silence of the Lambs is the only horror movie to ever win Best Picture at the Oscars. But it didn’t end there. This iconic, critically-adored smash hit bagged a total of five Oscars, including Best Actor for Anthony Hopkins, who managed to deliver maximum menace with only 16 minutes of screentime. This iconic movie remains the gold standard for how horror can transcend the genre and become a cultural phenomenon.
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