9 Oscar-Worthy Horror Movie Performances Of Iconic Actors

Horror movies have been around for a long time, yet only 18 Oscar winning horror movies in the long 92-year history of the Academy Award, and only The Silence of the Lambs has won the ceremony's top honor. Strangely, the number was so small, considering that horror movie performances are often the ones that give us more emotions than any performance in other genres. Maybe they are just not "prestige" enough.
So let’s give these brilliant performances in horror movies the recognition they deserve. They didn't win an Oscar but there was no doubt that they were all Oscar-worthy.

1. Toni Collette in Hereditary

Source: A24/ Courtesy of Everett Collection
Toni Collette’s performance in Hereditary is just phenomenal. Her "I am your mother" monologue, her reactions to all the traumas that she was put through, her way of portraying rage and terror, and all other aspects were just perfect. It’s a shame that she wasn’t nominated for an Oscar for this role.

2. Lupita Nyong'o in Us

Source: Universal Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Us was a big box office hit and its success is largely thanks to Lupita Nyong'o. She plays not one, but two deep characters. Despite sharing the same face and being played by the same actress, Red and Adelaide felt like two completely different people. It’s her performance that makes the movie so complex, emotional, and horrifying to watch. How the hell did the Academy just skip her?

3. Florence Pugh in Midsommar

Source: A24/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Florence Pugh did an amazing job with Dani in Midsommar. Her gut-wrenching emotional scenes in the film along with all the depression she portrayed made the audience pray for her relief. We felt suffered as she suffered, we felt empowered as she was empowered at the ending. That was a testament to how powerful her acting was. Everything in this movie is just Oscar-worthy.

4. Emily Blunt in A Quiet Place

Source: Paramount Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

It’s incredibly hard to pull off a good character without speaking a single line throughout the movie. But somehow, Emily Blunt completely nailed it. She managed to act tough to protect her family in a post-apocalyptic world full of monsters and express her vulnerability to her own traumas all by her front flips. She is truly the star of the movie.

5. James McAvoy in Split

Source: Universal Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Spit was an amazing movie and James McAvoy did a spectacular job in it. He played not one, not two, but 20 distinct personalities. We only got to see eight of them for most of the screen time, but there was no doubt that James McAvoy brought his characters alive in the most natural way possible. His roles just felt really alive. Yet he wasn’t nominated for even one Oscar. What a shame!

6. Isabelle Fuhrman in Orphan

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

The way Orphan made a 9-year-old girl look more terrifying than many monsters was just phenomenal. There is just something bone-chilling about Esther’s glaze. Despite being 12 years old, Isabelle Furhman did a great job playing a 33-year-old psycho female killer pretending to be a 9-year-old innocent girl. It’s just frightening.

7. Matthew Lillard in Scream

Source: Dimension Films/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

The twist with Matthew Lillard in Scream is just one of the most unhinged and emotionally desperate screen acting ever. He acts exactly like a teenager would have, which makes his character more realistic and believable. It also makes his revelation more gut-punching. His performance in the final scene is just iconic.

8. Christian Bale in American Psycho

Source: Lions Gate Films/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

It’s so strange that American Psycho didn’t win an Oscar. It nails all the criteria! The adapted screenplay, the direction, the cinematography, and Christian Bale’s performance are all brilliant. Bale made a horrifying antihero who claimed to have no real identity. His character was the portrayal of an entire generation's egotistical lack of values or conscience. The Academy should reconsider its decision.

9. Octavia Spencer in 'Ma'

Source: Universal Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Ma is a bad person, but Octavia Spencer makes us root for her the whole time. Her performance is twisty, unsettling, empathetic, and even a little funny. Somehow she manages to make the audience want her to win, despite being the villain of the movie. We doubt that Ma would be as great without Octavia.
These horror movie performances are amazing, but they are not the only great scary performances. In fact, there are roles that terrify not only the audience but also the actors who play them, like these 9 roles in iconic horror movies. Do you have the guts to check them out?