Only seven horror films have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture (and only one won)

Although horror has gradually gained respect over the decades, there can hardly be a more maligned genre in cinema. In addition to cuts, bans, and concerns about the effect they might have on impressionable young minds, horror films regularly face snarky criticism. An ambitious horror filmmaker’s chances of having his or her work recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are also pretty slim: In nearly a century of Oscar winning, only seven horror films have received a Best Picture nomination (“The Exorcist,” “Jaws,” “The Silence of the Lambs,” “The Sixth Sense,” “Black Swan,” “Get Out” and “The Substance”), with only “The Silence of the Lamb” winning.

Perhaps I should pause to note that the Academy is historically averse to honoring genre films in general, generally favoring serious dramas, biopics, and historical epics; Sci-fi films, action films, and superhero blockbusters also tend to get overlooked whenever the Oscars roll around. But over the years, the list of notable horror films that have failed to take home the top prize has been quite astonishing: “Frankenstein,” “Psycho,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” “Night of the Living Dead,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Carrie,” “The Shining,” “The Fly” and “Misery,” to name just a few.

Of course, the counterargument is: who cares what the Academy thinks? A great film is a great film, regardless of the awards, and the Oscars have always been a bit offbeat, regularly championing mediocrity and award-winning snoozefests over many truly original, thought-provoking, and groundbreaking films each year. Nonetheless, winning a golden, shiny guy is still considered the highest honor a filmmaker can receive, so let’s take a closer look at those lucky horror films that at least sniffed the Best Picture gong (and the one that actually took it home).