Horror has been the best movie genre of 2025, with beloved franchises 28 Days Later and Final Destination making a comeback, Sinners becoming a critically acclaimed global hit, and the long-awaited movie adaptation of Stephen King’s The Long Walk living up to expectations. The horror fest of the year began as early as January 31, when Companion hit movie theaters.
It’s not over yet, either, as the Anaconda reboot is expected to rule the Christmas box office, leading into next year. A year so jampacked with horror releases featuring major Hollywood stars is as rare as the sight of a unicorn in the middle of the road. This year’s cinematic legacy will be defined by its surprisingly great horror movies.
The list of nominations for the 2026 Golden Globes is in agreement, as, in a historic turn of events, a record number of horror movies have been named among the nominees. It is particularly surprising considering how little attention the genre receives from awards ceremonies that regularly snub great horror movies, deeming them too lowbrow to be worthy of recognition.
Multiple Horror Movies Have Been Nominated For Best Picture
As a long-time fan of horror movies, I must say I’m pleasantly surprised that as many as three movies have been nominated in the best picture nominations for the Golden Globes. Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest film, Bugonia, another great 2025 “Good For Her’ horror movie, has been nominated in the Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy category.
The other two horror movie nominations are in the Best Motion Picture – Drama category. Guillermo del Toro’s movie adaptation of Mary Shelley’s seminal work, Frankenstein, has received a nomination, which isn’t surprising considering how well his movies perform during every awards season. But it being a horror movie makes this nomination special in the context of the genre’s history.
The final nomination, while expected, is what makes 2025 the most exceptional year for horror cinema in recent times. Ryan Coogler’s Sinners has received a nomination in the same category as Frankenstein. While it’s certainly surprising an explicit horror movie was nominated in that category, the movie’s quality made it a near certainty, and we were all expecting this nomination.
Horror Movies Are Even Featured In The Acting Categories
Any fan of horror movies will tell you that the genre regularly brings out the best in actors, who deliver unnerving performances that help the movies sell their circumstances better and compel audiences who share the fear that the movie’s characters experience. Every year, the biggest acting snubs are from horror movies, whose performances aren’t considered meaningful enough for recognition.
2026 will be the exception. The likelihood of Jesse Plemons breaking a Best Actor Oscar trend becomes higher after his Golden Globe nomination, alongside Emma Stone, both for Bugonia. Michael B. Jordan has been nominated for Sinners, and Oscar Isaac for Frankenstein. But Amy Madigan for Weapons is astounding. Weapons wasn’t expected to be recognized by any major awards ceremony.
The Box Office Achievement Nominees Include Two Horror Movies
However, that’s not the only Golden Globe nomination that Weapons received. Zach Cregger’s movie, which proves that horror for the sake of entertainment still has appeal for most viewers and critics, has also been nominated in the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement category. Weapons provided audiences with one of the best theatrical experiences of the year, and deserves this nomination.
The other horror movie to be nominated in this category is, once again, the least surprising horror movie among all the Golden Globe nominees across all categories. It’s Ryan Coogler’s SInners, whose reviews couldn’t stop focusing on the value of watching the movie in theaters on the big screen with the sound booming across the room from the large speakers.
Horror Movies Have Also Received Best Direction And Screenplay Nominations
This is the category in which you least expect to see a horror movie. Screenplay awards are regularly given to drama films, thrillers, and the occasional comedy, usually a somber one that tackles real-life issues. The writing of a horror movie is rarely recognized as great, but the Golden Globes deem Ryan Coogler’s screenplay for Sinners worthy of a nomination.
The less surprising nominations are in the best direction category. For instance, Guillermo del Toro’s nomination for Frankenstein. Frankenstein is symptomatic of Hollywood’s remake problem, but the director regularly receives nominations from awards ceremonies, so this was almost expected. Ryan Coogler’s nomination for Best Director is also not unexpected, since Sinners is one of the best movies of the year.
2025’s Horror Movies Could Create Oscars History
In the history of the Oscars, only seven horror movies have been nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award, and apart from 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs, none of them won the award. However, Sinners has a strong chance of being nominated not just for Best Picture, but also for Best Actor, Best Screenplay, and Best Director, as well.
The other two categories where Sinners is expected to make a major difference, apart from Makeup and Hairstyling, Costume Design, and Production Design are Best Score and Best Song. Ludwig Göransson has been nominated for Best Score by the Golden Globes, and for Best Song, alongside Raphael Saadiq, rounding out the list of Golden Globe nominations received by horror movies.
