The Oscars May Not Favor Horror Often, But Makeup and Hair Have a Better Track Record

When it comes to horror films and the Oscars, the famous award show does not have the best reputation. Often times, horror performances and films go overlooked by The Academy. Thankfully, this year seems to be different, honoring The Substance with several nominations, including directing and best picture. Plus, Demi Moore, who starred in the film and gave one of the best, most vulnerable performances of the year, is nominated for leading actress. These are not the only nominations for The Substance, as it is also nominated for Makeup and Hairstyling, alongside another critical horror darling, Nosferatu.

While horror films getting their flowers at the Oscars is not common in the “Big Five” categories — Best Picture, Director, Actor in a Lead Role, Actress in a Lead Role, and Screenplay (Original or Adapted) — movies like this stand a better chance when it comes to the Makeup and Hairstyling category.

The Fly and An American Werewolf in London Prove Body Horror Can Win an Oscar

Surprisingly, body horror has not been overlooked by the Academy Awards. One of the most iconic body horror films, The Fly, was recognized for its remarkable transformation of Jeff Goldblum’s Seth Brundle into a fly-human hybrid. Throughout the process of his transformation, Brundle’s body falls to pieces and contorts into something inhuman and unrecognizable. It’s tragic, ugly, and some of the best practical makeup to ever grace the silver screen. Rightfully so, it won an Oscar for Makeup and Hairstyling.

Following in The Fly’s footsteps, The Substance puts Demi Moore through a remarkable yet horrific body transformation. In fact, the prosthetics artist on The Substance, Pierre Olivier Persin, took direct inspiration from The Fly, as revealed in an interview with Total Film, per MovieWeb.

“I was thinking of The Fly. At first, he [Jeff Goldblum] has hair on his back. He’s losing one nail. It’s a small decay. It’s step-by-step. He’s not suddenly gruesome,” Persin said. “So it was trying to find the right balance. We didn’t want one stage to be too much, so when we see where it’s going, it’s a surprise.”

[RELATED – The Substance Just Earned a Bunch of Oscar Nominations (And That’s Great News for Horror)]

This could bode well for The Substance, as the Oscars have shown in the past to appreciate body horror on the level of The Fly, as well as films like An American Werewolf in London. Plus, The Substance hit it out of the park with the technical execution of Elizabeth and Sue’s transformations, as well as the creative direction of their designs, just like past winners have done prior.

Movie Monsters, Including Nosferatu‘s Counterpart, Have Won Oscar Gold

Classic monsters, from vampires to werewolves, have also seen gold at the Oscars in terms of their makeup and hairstyling, and Nosferatu stands a chance to continue this tradition. In Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, Count Orlok has a rotten, haunting, full-body transformation from head to toe, making him stand out from the original iteration of the character.

If Nosferatu wins for makeup and hairstyling, this would mean another iteration of Dracula has won this award — as the original Nosferatu is an unauthorized adaptation of Dracula. Back in 1992, Francis Ford Coppola directed Bram Stoker’s Dracula, transforming Gary Oldman into the titular vampire. While not as extreme of a transformation as Bill Skarsgård’s in Nosferatu, it is still iconic and memorable, to say the least.

Plus, both of these films cater to another popular trend for this Oscar category — period makeup and styling. It is common for period films to find themselves nominated in this category, as seen with Elizabeth, The Iron Lady, Les Misérables, Darkest Hour, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. While the leading monster in Nosferatu is a haunting creature of the night, the rest of the cast looks the part of Victorian ladies and gentlemen. Like Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Nosferatu scratches both itches — period-appropriate styling and unique monster design — and that could give it a leg up.

While genre films, specifically horror movies and films adjacent to them, do not always get the recognition they deserve at the Oscars, when it comes to hair and makeup, these movies have had better luck. It’s hard to deny the genius creature designs of the monsters in Pan’s Labyrinth, the technical feat of Seth Brundle’s transformation in The Fly, or the period-appropriate styling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Hopefully, this continues to be the case, with both Nosferatu and The Substance well-deserving of a shot at gold this Oscar season.