20 Actors From Horror Films That Absolutely Should've Won An Oscar For Their Performance

The fact that no one from the Scream franchise has even been nominated is a travesty.

Only a handful of horror film performances have ever won an Academy Award.

ABC

Weird, considering horror movie actors tend to give us more emotion and range than in any other genre. You would think that horror would dominate the ceremony! But I guess it's not "prestige" enough for the Academy.

NBCUniversal / Via giphy.com

So, I'm here to shine some light on just some of the most iconic and brilliant performances in horror movies that definitely should have won an Oscar:

1. Toni Collette in Hereditary

A24

In one of the biggest upsets on this list, Toni Collette was SNUBBED for Hereditary, despite her "I am your mother" monologue, which is so incredibly well-acted that it's actually had a cultural impact — it's still being printed on T-shirts and recreated on TikTok constantly. BIG mistake, Academy.

You can watch the full monologue here:

A24 / Via youtube.com

2. Tony Todd in Candyman (1992)

TriStar Pictures

Tony Todd had to be terrifying and seductive at the same time to play Candyman, and it just worked. Like, be your victim? Okay, where do I sign up? 

He's scary, but you can't seem to take your eyes off of him — even when he's covered in bees!

You can see some of his performance here:

TriStar Pictures / Via youtube.com

3. Matthew Lillard in Scream

Dimension Films

Matthew Lillard is so perfect in the final showdown. He acts exactly like a teenager would have, which makes his performance so much more believable — and fun! And nothing will ever beat his line read of "My mom and dad are gonna be so mad at me."

You can watch the line read here:

Dimension Films / Via youtube.com

4. Laurie Metcalf in Scream 2

Dimension Films

Nominated for Lady Bird, but not this?! I don't care what anyone says — this performance is ~everything~, and no one else could have given us this level of sympathetic villain!

You can watch her most iconic scene here:

Dimension Films / Via youtube.com

5. Isabelle Fuhrman in Orphan

Warner Bros. Pictures

A 12-year-old playing a 33-year-old pretending to be a 9-year-old. Isabelle Furhman really did that! At least we finally got our sequel.

You can watch some of her performance here:

Warner Bros. Pictures / Via youtube.com

6. Anthony Perkins in Psycho

Paramount Pictures

Janet Leigh was nominated for her supporting role, so clearly, the Academy deemed Psycho an acceptable-enough horror film to have at their awards, so what gives? Anthony Perkins IS the titular Psycho, like, c'mon now. His performance is a master class in acting!!!

You can watch some of his performance here:

Paramount Pictures / Via youtube.com

7. Octavia Spencer in Ma

Universal Pictures

If you think this pick is controversial, go back and watch the movie, okay? Ma's such a horrible person, but you're rooting for her the whole time! It's so easy to rely on tired clichés when playing a stalker/obsessive character, but Octavia Spencer adds such nuance to Ma that you're simultaneously terrified of her and intrigued. How can you say no to her when she starts singing "don't make me drink alone" or when she sends you videos of herself in her bedazzled denim hat?

You can watch some of her performance here:

Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

8. Malcolm McDowell and Brad Dourif in Rob Zombie’s Halloween II

Weinstein Company/Courtesy Everett Collection

Two legends in one movie?! It's a no-brainer that at least one of them would be recognized for their performance.

Malcolm McDowell gives 110% every time, right out of the gate, in every role. And it's no different here. His reimagining of Dr. Loomis is brilliant.

Brad Dourif makes this movie. His character is put through the trauma-laden ringer, and Dourif never gives anything less than everything he has!

You can watch them in action here:

Dimension Films / Via youtube.com

9. Angela Bettis in May

Lions Gate Films

Angela Bettis has been absolutely killing it in the horror genre for years. But nothing beats when she and painfully underrated horror director Lucky McKee team up. Their collaboration in May is legendary, and Bettis gives the performance of a lifetime!

You can watch some of her performance here:

Lions Gate Films / Via youtube.com

10. Bill Skarsgård in It & It: Chapter Two

Warner Bros. Pictures

I feel like people don't talk about this performance as much as they should! The makeup kind of makes you forget that that's actually Bill Skarsgård in there, but if you've ever seen any behind-the-scenes videos of him as Pennywise reciting his lines without the makeup, it's one of the most horrifying and uncomfortable things you'll ever see. 

You can watch some of his performance as Pennywise here:

Warner Bros. Pictures / Via youtube.com

11. Mark Duplass in Creep

The Orchard

Found-footage style horror relies so heavily on the performances of its cast, and lucky for us, Mark Duplass in Creep gives us his absolute best!

He plays Josef with such an unsettling calmness, that whether he's being the cool and fun guy or the murderous stalker — he always sort of has this underlying creepiness to him.

You can watch the trailer here:

The Orchard / Via youtube.com

12. Michelle Pfeiffer in What Lies Beneath

DreamWorks Pictures

Michelle Pfeiffer's character spends a good amount of time in this movie by herself, so with no scene partner to talk to, a lot of what she conveys to us is just through her body language and facial expressions. There's also a few moments where her character's body and face is paralyzed, and she has to act using basically only her eyes, and we still get incredibly tense and emotional scenes!

You can watch some of her "eye-acting" here:

DreamWorks Pictures / Via youtube.com

13. James McAvoy in Split

Universal Pictures

James McAvoy plays one character with over 20 distinct personalities — eight of which we actually get to see — seamlessly. But not even a nom? Okay.

You can watch some of his performance here:

Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

14. Florence Pugh in Midsommar

A24

Florence Pugh's gut-wrenching emotional response to seeing her boyfriend in the middle of a sex ritual is sooo hard to watch — but in the best way. Her whole performance is incredible, of course, but that particular scene is just so impressive.

Her frown in this also deserves an award!

You can watch her emotional scene here:

A24 / Via youtube.com

15. Dan Stevens in The Guest

Picturehouse

Dan Stevens manages to play the coolest and hottest guy you've ever met, while simultaneously being incredibly unnerving. PLUS, his performance is so nuanced, he's somehow the comedic relief in the movie, too. Truly, a man that can do it all!

You can watch some of his performance here:

Picturehouse / Via youtube.com

16. Lupita Nyong'o in Us

Universal/courtesy Everett / Everett Collection

Lupita Nyong'o plays two people in Us, each with such a distinct identity that you could very easily forget it's even the same actor! She's just that good.

And the first time I heard her voice for Red, I got full body chills. So terrifying!

How could the Academy ignore this performance?!

You can hear Red's voice here:

Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

17. Christian Bale in American Psycho

Lions Gate Films

American Psycho seems like it would have swept every major category at the Oscars. The adapted screenplay, the direction, the cinematography, and OF COURSE, Christian Bale are all brilliant! Bale's performance, especially, is a huge standout, as he toes the line between fantasy and reality, while also giving us subtle humor through his sometimes overly-calm and often unemotional intonation and his very precise and controlled facial expressions.

You can watch some of his performance here:

Lions Gate Films / Via youtube.com

18. Dan Byrd in The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

Fox Searchlight Pictures

We all know Dan Byrd as Hilary Duff's Zorro-clad friend in A Cinderella Story, but oh my god, does this man have the ~range~!

The Hills Have Eyes has some of the most horrifying and disturbing shit I've ever seen on screen, and yet, all I can seem to remember is Dan Byrd's performance!

You can watch the trailer here:

Fox Searchlight Pictures / Via youtube.com

19. Dwight Frye in Dracula (1931)

Universal Pictures

This man was serving it to us in the '30s as a horror icon. And nothing beats his performance in Dracula, especially when he gives us that laugh — you know the one. I know we're supposed to be scared of Dracula, but Dwight Frye was definitely giving Bela Lugosi a run for his money!

You can watch his laughing scene here:

Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

20. And finally, Hamish Linklater in Midnight Mass

Netflix

Okay, not a movie, but who cares? If the Oscars won't recognize horror, then I'm throwing all the rules out the window, especially for Hamish Linklater, who gives the best modern performance I've ever seen from not just something horror-related, but any genre, really. He's just so good and unsettling, and I still haven't been able to get over this performance!

You can watch some of his best scenes here:

Netflix / Via youtube.com

What's the best horror movie performance you've ever seen? Let me know in the comments!

Lionsgate

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