Are you in the mood to watch some award-winning horror movies? March is Oscar season, and we're excited to see who wins! While plenty of horror films satisfy your need for spine-tingling fun, some movies are a cut above the rest. Horror films have historically received the fewest Academy Awards, but the ones that have succeeded are worth a watch! How many of these Oscar-winning horror movies have you seen?
1. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
[Source: Paramount Pictures/IMDb]
The first Academy Awards ceremony was held in 1929. Only a few years later, in 1931, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was the first horror movie to earn an Oscar. Specifically, Fredric March won the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. However, he shared the award that year with Wallace Beery for his role in The Champ because the votes were tied. (Any nomination with less than four votes separating the winners was considered a tie then.) The costume makeup by Wally Westmore was equally stunning, and they kept the secret behind the Jekyll and Hyde makeup a mystery for decades!
2. Phantom of the Opera (1943)
[Source: Universal Pictures/IMDb]
Universal Monsters films are some of the most famous classic horror movies, with favorites like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, and others. However, the only classic Universal horror movie to win an Oscar is Phantom of the Opera. It actually won two awards, one for Art Direction and another for Cinematography. Also, this particular movie used technicolor, making it the first color Phantom of the Opera film.
3. The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
[Source: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/IMDb]
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a movie based on an Oscar Wilde novel of the same name. While color film was an option then, most of the movie was in black and white. However, a few shots of Dorian Gray's deteriorating portrait are filmed in color. The movie ultimately won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography. While the movie centers around the portrait of Dorian Gray, two paintings were made by two separate artists to depict Dorian Gray's initial appearance and that of his deteriorated self.
4. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
[Source: Seven Arts Productions/IMDb]
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is a unique horror movie that helped revive the careers of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. In the movie, a retired paraplegic film actress is tormented by her jealous, former child star sister. Interestingly enough, the movie won an Oscar for Best Costume Design. Critic reviews at the time were mixed, but modern reviews have been much more favorable. The film has been credited as helping to launch the psycho-biddy horror subgenre.
5. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
[Source: William Castle Enterprises/IMDb]
Rosemary's Baby is considered one of the greatest horror movies of all time, so it's no surprise that it was one of the few horror movies to earn an Oscar. Specifically, Ruth Gordon won the role of Best Supporting Actress as the villainous Minnie Castevet. The movie was added to the National Film Registry in 2014 and had a sequel, prequel, and TV miniseries.
6. The Exorcist (1973)
[Source: Hoya Productions/IMDb]
While it didn't win the category, The Exorcist was the first horror movie to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. It was also the highest-grossing R-rated horror movie and wasn't dethroned until 2017's It. In total, The Exorcist was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, and it ended up winning two—Best Sound and Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.
7. Jaws (1975)
[Source: Zanuck/Brown Company/Universal Pictures/IMDb]
Did you know that Jaws was the catalyst behind summer blockbuster movies? It was a movie with many firsts, including the first summer blockbuster, the first major motion picture shot on the ocean, and the first horror film to win three Academy Awards. It won Best Film Editing, Best Original Dramatic Score, and Best Sound. While it was also nominated for Best Picture, Jaws lost to One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. Jaws also unintentionally propelled fears about sharks for swimmers and fishermen due to its massive influence.
8. The Omen (1976)
[Source: 20th Century-Fox/Mace Neufeld Productions/IMDb]
The Omen is another horror movie that wasn't initially warmly received, but it has since grown on its audience with time. Initial reviews called The Omen "a piece of junk" and "a dreadfully silly film". However, it still took home the Oscar for Best Original Score. The Omen developed three sequels, a remake, and a prequel film.
9. King Kong (1976)
[Source: Dino De Laurentiis Corporation/IMDb]
The 1976 King Kong was a remake of the original 1933 film. It is notable for featuring the World Trade Center instead of the Empire State Building, as in the original and most other King Kong films. This movie won a non-competitive Special Achievement Academy Award for Best Visual Effects because there was no annual category at the time. They wanted to recognize King Kong for its innovative contribution to film.
10. Alien (1979)
[Source: 20th Century-Fox/Brandywine Productions/IMDb]
Few horror movies have spawned franchises as robust as Alien. Several of the movies are critically acclaimed, including Alien itself. Surprisingly, reviews were initially mixed, but that didn't stop the film from earning an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. The creature works and set pieces were genuinely remarkable, raising the standard for future sci-fi and horror movies.
11. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
[Source: PolyGram Pictures/Lycanthrope Films Limited]
You might be surprised that An American Werewolf in London was written and directed by John Landis of The Blues Brothers, Three Amigos, and National Lampoon's Animal House fame. He was already an established comedy director when he switched gears to a horror movie. Backers were skeptical, but An American Werewolf in London proved to be a critical and commercial success. The film scored an Academy Award for Best Makeup. David Naughton could spend an astounding 10 hours getting his makeup done for his complete werewolf transformations!
12. The Fly (1986)
[Source: Brooksfilms/SLM Production Group/IMDb]
Have you noticed that horror movies frequently win in the makeup and special effects categories? The Fly is a science fiction horror movie starring Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis. It won an Academy Award for Best Makeup, and we can't say we're surprised! After an experiment goes wrong, Jeff Goldblum's character slowly turns into a terrifying man-fly hybrid. The results are so unsettling it's hard to remind yourself they aren't real.
13. Beetlejuice (1988)
[Source: The Geffen Company/IMDb]
Did you know that Beetlejuice won an Oscar? Like many other horror movies on this list, Beetlejuice won the category for Best Makeup. We can't say we're surprised, with characters like Beetlejuice, Miss Argentina, Adam, and Barbara Maitland. The whole movie had so much care taken in its art and design, and all with a dose of fun. Keep your eyes peeled for more Tim Burton movies ahead!
14. Misery (1990)
[Source: Castle Rock Entertainment/Nelson Entertainment/IMDb]
So far, Misery is the only Stephen King film to win an Oscar. Actress Kathy Bates won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Annie Wilkes, a nurse with a chilling past. Annie happens upon her favorite author after a car accident, and she nurses him back to health—with sinister intentions. She keeps him captive until he can rewrite his next book's manuscript.
15. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
[Source: Strong Heart Productions/IMDb]
To this day, The Silence of the Lambs remains the most decorated horror movie. It is the first horror movie to win Academy Awards in the five major categories (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay) and the third movie to do so, behind It Happened One Night and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. So far, it remains the only horror movie to win an Academy Award for Best Picture. How long will it take for another horror movie to claim the award?
16. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
[Source: American Zoetrope/Osiris Films/IMDb]
There have been several Dracula-themed horror movies, but few are as stylish as Bram Stoker's Dracula. The film earned three Academy Awards for Best Costume Design, Best Makeup, and Best Sound Editing. It was also nominated for Best Art Direction but lost to Howard's End. Extreme care was taken in the film's stunning visuals, from the immaculate costume design to the team of artists hired to storyboard the entire movie so each shot could be carefully planned.
17. Death Becomes Her (1992)
[Source: Universal Pictures/IMDb]
What would you do if you could live forever? Death Becomes Her explores the possibility of eternal life, with dire consequences for those who abuse it. Two women feuding for one man's affection become living undead after they consume eternal life potions. The potions bring back their youth and beauty, but unfortunately, they can't continue to restore their physical bodies after they die. The movie made strides in computer-generated effects, which earned it an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
18. Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Tim Burton is well-known for his gothic horror and dark fantasy films, including 1999's Sleepy Hollow. The gorgeous sets and visuals earned Sleepy Hollow the Oscar for Best Art Direction. While computerized special effects were becoming increasingly popular, they incorporated techniques like applying bleach bypass to desaturate the film and shooting on sets in a controlled environment rather than on location.
19. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
The Tim Burton and Johnny Depp duo scored another hit with Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, a horror musical hailed as one of the greatest musical films of the 21st century. They took a serious gamble by casting Johnny Depp, who was not known for his singing, in the lead role. But his vocal lessons paid off! Like Sleepy Hollow, this horror movie also won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction.
20. The Wolfman (2010)
[Source: Universal Pictures/Relativity Media/Stuber Pictures/IMDb]
Have you noticed that horror movies winning the Academy Award for Best Makeup are generally monster movies? The same can be said for 2010's The Wolfman. The movie itself is unremarkable and received middling to poor reviews. However, if you're a makeup person, you'll appreciate the work done to bring the werewolf to life.
21. Black Swan (2010)
[Source: Cross Creek Pictures/Protozoa Pictures/Phoenix Pictures/Dune Entertainment/IMDb]
How cutthroat can ballerinas be? Black Swan highlights the toxic rivalry between two ballet dancers competing for the role of the black swan in a production of Swan Lake. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, coming away with one win for Best Actress. The movie was a surprise box office success after its limited release in select cities in North America.
22. Get Out (2017)
[Source: Blumhouse Productions/QC Entertainment/Monkeypaw Productions/IMDb]
Get Out may have been Jordan Peele's directorial debut, but it established him as a master of horror. The film won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, making Jordan Peele the first African-American director to receive the award. Get Out was also the 6th-ever horror movie nominated for Best Picture, although only one horror movie has won the category.
23. Godzilla Minus One (2023)
[Source: Toho Studios/Robot Communications/IMDb]
It took 37 films, but now we have a Godzilla film with an Oscar! Godzilla Minus One goes back to the roots of the first Godzilla movie, where the King of the Monsters terrorized Tokyo near the end of WWII. However, it's much more than a monster movie, as we follow a found family of survivors. The film won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and had many other accolades.
24. Honorable Mentions
[Source: Shamley Productions/IMDb]
Horror movies have always had difficulties at the Academy Awards, as they can be overlooked due to their content. Some incredibly influential horror movies, including Psycho, The Shining, Let the Right One In, and Suspiria, have been snubbed in the past. You also have the incredible Nosferatu, which premiered years before the awards existed. It has always been challenging to draw the line between what qualifies as horror versus genres like dark fantasy, suspense, thriller, and others. We must give honorable mentions to Parasite, Pan's Labyrinth, Jurassic Park, and The Shape of Water, which all won Academy Awards but aren't generally recognized as horror movies.
Did any of the Oscar-winning horror movies surprise you? What other movies do you think were snubbed? We'd love to hear your thoughts! You can always show your love for horror movies by dressing in your favorite horror movie costumes for Halloween.
