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

For years and years, horror has largely been ignored by the Academy Awards, with films like Hereditary and Us getting completely locked out of conversations when the Oscars came around. Get Out has been the major exception to that rule, breaking through with a handful of nominations and a screenplay statue for Jordan Peele. Now, The Substance is knocking down the Academy doors, and it could mark a major shift in how horror is viewed by awards voters.

Coralie Fargeat’s body-horror extravaganza was instantly met with rave reviews when it was released last year, and there was a lot of conversation amongst fans that it should get some awards attention. Given the history of horror at the Oscars, however, there was plenty of doubt it would actually happen. Those doubts were silenced on Thursday morning as The Substance not only earned five nominations, but the film was recognized in some of the most prominent categories.

The Substance was nominated for Best Picture, with Fargeat getting nods for both Best Director and Original Screenplay, while star Demi Moore received a nomination for Best Actress. The film was also recognized for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

Seeing The Substance break through with a Best Picture nod is a huge boost for the world of horror, but it’s the directing nomination for Fargeat that seems even more pivotal. A total of 10 films can earn Best Picture nominations, while only five can be nominated for Best Director. For the Academy to recognize Fargeat’s work on The Substance and deem it one of the five best directorial efforts of the entire year feels like a real sign that an ever-changing voting body is finally starting to get on board with the incredible work that horror filmmakers have been doing for years.

The Substance is a movie that takes no prisoners and has no patience for subtlety, going as over the top as possible in every scene to deliver one of the most unpredictable film experiences in quite a while. That is to say, The Substance feels so far removed from what people like to think of as “awards movies,” but that’s what makes this so exciting. It’s a lot like when Everything Everywhere All at Once won Best Picture a couple of years ago, where something so traditionally not what the Academy goes for is getting real recognition and validation.

Demi Moore has a real shot at winning Best Actress at the Oscars this year. And Fargeat is certainly in the running for Original Screenplay. Who knows if The Substance has a shot at Best Picture, but the fact that it even has a seat at the table is incredible news for the future.