Horror is a genre that has seen very few Best Picture nominations at the Oscars, but this only further raises the question as to which horror movie got the honor first. Throughout the years, only six movies in the horror genre have been nominated for Best Picture, which is a shockingly low number. For a horror film to be recognized by the Oscars, it has to be especially great, and the historic film that finally broke this barrier is considered one of the greatest in its genre.
The Academy, the group that votes on which films get Oscars, is known for having its preferences. Dramas, period pieces, and movies about filmmaking are far more likely to get nominated than genres it considers lesser, which appears to be the case for movies in the action and comedy genre. The Oscars is known for snubbing horror especially, with the genre often only getting recognized in the technical categories like Best Visual Effects. However, occasionally the cream of the crop gets nominated for the prestigious Best Picture award, and although no horror movies have ever won, the genre seems to finally be getting more attention.
Out of the six horror movies that have been nominated for Best Picture - Jaws, The Silence of the Lambs, The Sixth Sense, Black Swan, and Get Out - only one has the honor of being the first: The Exorcist. The iconic 1973 film chronicles the exorcism of a demon-possessed young girl named Regan MacNeil and was a smash hit when it came out. The film was one of the most commercially and critically successful films of its year, and its status and reputation gained it a nomination for Best Picture at The Oscars.
The Exorcist is considered one of the scariest horror movies of all time, and its controversial legacy made it stick out from the rest of the Best Picture nominees. It went up against The Sting, American Graffiti, Cries and Whispers, and A Touch of Class - all films that seem like more conventional Oscars movies. Although it lost Best Picture to The Sting, The Exorcist was still nominated for nine other awards and won two: Best Sound and Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (now known as Best Adapted Screenplay).
One of the main things that made The Exorcist become the first horror movie nominated for Best Picture was its realism. Before The Exorcist, horror movies were often considered hokey, cheap shock films marketed towards teenagers. However, The Exorcist's realism and grounded nature changed all that. The film's religious themes, terrifying performances, and realistic special effects made it seem as if The Exorcist was a true story. This reputation garnered respect for the film and made many reevaluate their biases toward the horror genre. Along with its fantastic technical and creative achievements, The Exorcist's new approach to tackling horror is what got it a nomination for Best Picture.
Since its nomination, The Exorcist has paved the way for subsequent horror masterpieces to get recognized by The Oscars. The horror genre as a whole has evolved, and those films that focus on important themes, strong characters, and intense moments along with the genre's traditional tropes have started being held in higher regard than previous entries. Although none have won yet, many films have been recognized and appreciated since The Exorcist became the first horror movie nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.