After Pearl and X snub, Mia Goth says the Oscars’ disinterest in horror is “very political”
Goth’s work in 2022 is another in a long line of snubs and flubs from the Academy Awards. "A change is necessary," says Goth
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It’s no secret that the Oscars don’t care much for genre movies and that they do so at their own peril. Despite the occasional exception, usually from established directors or actors, the Academy Awards don’t generally reward performances requiring high emotional stamina of screaming, crying, and running for multiple takes. For example, Jordan Peele’s Nope, one of the year’s best films, received zero nominations, despite Keke Palmer delivering an all-timer in his bad omen to Hollywood.
Another noticeable absence was Mia Goth. Last year, she turned in three completely different, totally unique oddball performances as Pearl in Pearl and Maxine Minx and elderly Pearl in X. Obviously, the Academy isn’t going to take up three of the five nominee spots to reward Goth. Still, many believe some recognition is in line for such full-throated, haunted, and funny creations.
We’re not the only ones who think so. While doing press for Goth’s latest, Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool, Jake Hamilton of the YouTube series Jake’s Takes asked why she thinks the Oscars ignore horror.
“I think that it’s very political,” Goth said. “It’s not entirely based on the quality of a project per se. There’s a lot going on there and a lot of cooks in the kitchen when it comes to nominations. Maybe I shouldn’t say that, but I think that’s true. I think a lot of people know that.”
As Goth said, a lot goes into nominations, one of which is studios paying for campaigns. In 2019, studios spent as much as $30 million per film on Oscar campaigns. While Pearl and X likely cost more than the reported million dollars each, both films were probably cheaper than a campaign. For a company like A24, which received more nominations than any studio this year, it might have made sense to prepare campaigns for Everything Everywhere All At Once and The Whale, which had early awards buzz. However, this could be a self-perpetuating cycle. If studios know that the Oscars don’t go for horror, they may be less inclined to pay for campaigns. Though it’s hard to imagine a studio exec watching Goth’s “I’m a star” monologue and determining that. But also, it’s the Oscars, so nothing has to make sense.
“A change is necessary,” Goth continued. “A shift should take place if they wanted to engage with the wider public. I think it would be of benefit, really.”
She’s right. But we won’t hold our breath. Oscar or not, Pearl is a star.
24 Comments
I guess it’s political in the sense that horror is seen as a lesser genre, and therefore, recognizing it would tarnish the Academy’s sense of prestige. But also, the Academy tends to shy away from horror, even with infusions of younger voters in recent years. Even buzzier performances like Toni Colette in Hereditary and Lupita Nyong’o in Us get left out. That said, Goth absolutely deserved to be nominated.
It’s not like Nope is anywhere to be seen.
Nope wasn’t Oscar caliber. Like not even close. To be fair, neither was Maverick, or half the other bullshit nominated. But Nope was not good enough.
The cinematography alone made it worth a nomination, but beyond that, there’s a lot more to praise about it. It’s so unique and touches on a ton of different ideas. And the sitcom flashback may be the best single scene I’ve seen in a 2022 movie.
“The cinematography alone made it worth a nomination”
It’s not better than any of the cinematography noms, sorry.
Nope was fucking glorious.
That said, Goth absolutely deserved to be nominated.I was with you until this point. She’s pretty good in Pearl I suppose, but not in the same class as Blanchett, Yeoh, or Williams. [De Armas was bad in a bad movie and I haven’t seen To Leslie because no one has seen To Leslie.] Both Pearl and X are extremely overrated. X is just a by-the-numbers Texas Chainsaw rehash that tries and fails to add depth at the last minute. Goth doesn’t deserve praise for wearing a fat suit any more than Gary Oldman did. Pearl has some cool stylistic flourishes and a fun ending, but it has nothing to say. Collette and Peele, on the other hand, are worth going to bat for.
“ That said, Goth absolutely deserved to be nominated.”
In what fucking world???
As political as the purrfect new SPR3 music video? Maybe!
Idk about X but I do feel similar about Pearl. Honesty I would have been pretty pumped to see Mia Goth up for best actress for that. Her performance was on another level.
These films were not snubbed. They were not Oscar-worthy. Just like Nope wasn’t Oscar-worthy.
Exactly. If X and Pearl were snubbed then so was Tommy Wiseau’s The Room.
Horror is the Special Olympics of movie genres.
Maybe if those movies were any good, they’d get nominated. They’re half-baked nostalgia trips, which seems to be Ti West’s only hand. The House of the Devil was a fun trip, but everything since then has been total filler.
Maybe if those movies were any good, they’d get nominated. Counterpoint: Ana de Armas has a nomination for Blonde.
Oh, for fuck’s sake. I guess horror will have to console itself with being the only non-IP genre that makes any money these days, whereas without the prestige that comes from awards shows (such as it is) non-genre movies simply wouldn’t get made. Goth gave a good performance but I wish horror people would get off the cross.
Exactly. The Oscars were conceived as and remain at heart a promotional device for the film business. Dramas and epics need them. Horrors do not – horrors make their money back more reliably and the audience is not motivated to go see them in the least due to ‘awards’. (For the most part they’ve established their theatrical box office long before awards season even commences.)
“Dramas and epics need them”or they could try making more interesting dramas and epics.
If horror movies started winning Oscars, there would start to be a glut of Oscar-bait horror. Horror fans would hate it. It’s an underdog genre, because people like it that way.
“After Pearl and X snub”Wait, so we’re really pretending that Mia Goth deserves a fucking OSCAR nomination for Pearl and X?
What an unbelievable pile of idiocy.
I’m more pissed off that Elvis was completely snubbed by the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards.
It’s actually amazing to me that anyone cares about the Oscars. I assumed it had been long understood they were pretty much a joke and didn’t award movies based on what general audiences wants to see.
Like the term Oscar bait exists for a reason– overly dramatic movies people don’t actually enjoy but tick all the right boxes so win an award or two.
super political
“For example, Jordan Peele’s Nope, one of the year’s best films, received zero nominations, despite Keke Palmer delivering an all-timer in his bad omen to Hollywood.”
Something tells me this article wasn’t proofread.