Demi Moore as Elisabeth Sparkle in The Substance
(Mubi)

It’s no coincidence 2025 is the biggest year for horror at the Oscars since the ‘80s

The horror genre often goes unrecognized for its feats and acclaim in the critical sphere, but this year’s Oscar nominations reveal three of 2024’s best horror movies have broken a decades-long curse.

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Content warning: This article contains brief mentions of sexual assault.

The Substance, Alien: Romulus, and Nosferatu have each been nominated for awards, with The Substance earning five nominations, including the coveted Best Picture and Best Actress for Demi Moore. This marks the first year since 1987 that three horror films have secured nominations in the same year. Interestingly, the nominated movies have much in common with those recognized roughly four decades ago. Looking back at the cultural and political climate in 1987, it seems clear why that is.

1987 vs. 2025

The 59th Academy Awards aired in 1987, spotlighting Aliens, The Fly, and Poltergeist II: The Other Side. (We can throw in Little Shop of Horrors for funsies, too, if you want to count the classic horror/musical.) At first glance, it’s notable that the Alien franchise is still going strong today. This is a feat in itself, made possibly by celebrated directors Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher, and now Fede Álvarez. But what I find most notable is that the Xenomorph remains terrifying today for the same reason it was created; these drooling, exoskeletal creatures (technically, “mesoskeletal”) are perfect predators, acting within a metaphor for sexual assault and forced pregnancy and birth. In a post-Roe culture, these fears are once again at the forefront.

While there’s no shortage of body horror present in Alien: Romulus and the franchise’s previous films, when it comes to this subgenre, we can’t ignore the cultural parallels between Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance and David Cronenberg’s The Fly. Released at the tail-end of the Reagan administration, The Fly has been believed to serve as a commentary on the AIDS crisis, particularly at the time of its box office debut. Although Cronenberg refuted the film was specifically about the virus, he did confirm it dealt with fears surrounding degenerative disease and aging. I don’t think I need to point out the thematic similarities in 2024’s The Substance, but what the hell?

Anti-aging campaigns targeting women run rampant today. (Think “undetectable” Botox injections, the Ozempic craze, the push to curate skincare routines no fewer than three steps, the revival of Pilates—the list goes on.) This issue bears its teeth front and center in Fargeat’s body-horror masterpiece, culminating in Elisabeth’s (Demi Moore) and Sue’s (Margaret Qualley) transformation into a true movie monster. This certainly seems to be the overarching theme of the horror films nominated at the Oscars in ’87 and 2025: Monsters and what makes them so.

In the case of The Substance, we’re asked to question what’s monstrous, why, and whether it’s better to become the “monster” or delay the transformation. This conversation continues in Robert Eggers’ Oscar-nominated reimagining of Nosferatu, seeing Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) contend with her repressed sexual desire and immense shame, both of which are personified by the vampire Count Orlok. Like that of Alien: Romulus, the film’s message remains timely after the fall of Roe v. Wade and reflects how that decision has affected our culture and individual women.

Through Eggers’ metaphor, Ellen’s connection to Orlok conveys that Ellen believes herself to be monstrous. While we as a modern audience can recognize that women are sexual beings, Ellen feels a deep-seated sense of shame in this regard, largely conditioned by an era that demonized women’s sexuality, autonomy, and skills. Just as Ellen is a “modern woman” restricted by the puritanical ideals of 1838 Germany, we now live in a conservative culture that often ignores the reality and depth of women’s experiences, especially those considered “shameful,” and seeks to punish women’s sexuality as a result.

If it’s not too far of a reach, I’d even compare Orlok’s pursuit of Ellen to the Beast’s taking of Carol Anne in Poltergeist II, though the films’ themes differ wildly below the surface-level fear factor of modernity. Despite differences and nearly a 40-year time-lapse, we’re seeing old fears rear their ugly heads in the post-Trump horror genre, and the Academy’s notice is one twist we should’ve seen coming.


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Olivia Rolls
Olivia Rolls is a freelance contributor at The Mary Sue. She's been writing professionally since 2022, covering gaming news and guides at a handful of outlets. Her work has appeared at Screen Rant, GameSkinny, N4G Unlocked, and VideoGamer, but you can also find her at The Escapist. A lover of cozy games, all things horror, and the modern anthropological study that is dissecting and participating in online pop culture spheres, Olivia dedicates both her work and downtime to writing about current interests, big and small. For deep dives on everything from NPC Studio's blushing farm sim, Fields of Mistria, to women's place in the horror genre and trending talking points on TikTok, she's your girl.