Aunt Gladys Is an Oscar Threat

This hasn’t always been the case. Can anyone believe there was a time when The Exorcist was an Academy Award winner? In 1973, it was an absolute spectacle of a film, gaining so much attention from critics and audiences alike that it absolutely deserved that nomination.

But prior to The Exorcist, no horror movie had seemingly received its level of mainstream coverage. The film featured numerous impressive technical feats, and introduced the world to what a horror movie could be at the peak of a director’s craft. (It also made herstory by introducing the world to the trope of “scary possessed little girl,” and thank god for that.) It’s main draw, it seems, was that audiences might puke after watching, apparently enough to earn one a Best Picture nomination, among many others. It sadly lost that award, and it would be nearly two decades before another horror film successfully made its way back into the Awards circuit with 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs.

The film swept almost every category it was nominated in and won two of the most coveted awards: Best Actor and, finally, Best Picture. But there’s one detail about The Silence of the Lambs win that sets it apart from The Exorcist. Despite being advertised as a horror movie to general audiences, when it was time to enter the awards circuit, the film made a quick pivot, labeling itself a “thriller.” There’s obviously mystery and suspense throughout the film, but it’s chock full of horror tropes and themes; calling it primarily a“crime-thriller” movie was, even now, a reach. It’s like comparing Industry and Riverdale; just becauseRiverdale “technically” counts as a drama. See how wrong that feels?

Even now, there is a strange association with horror being seen as “cheap,” or something one does when their career is falling behind. When actors take on a horror project, people make negative assumptions, like doing it for a paycheck, rather than assuming they have put artistic intent or craft into these projects. It's a bizarre stereotype that puts many people off from even associating with the genre, leading some potential viewers to miss out on incredible films. Thankfully, more horror movies have hit the mainstream, receive praise and even become summer blockbusters. Isn’t it interesting what marketing and ticket sales can do for the industry?

Back to Madigan. Before Weapons became 2025’s hottest horror media to dissect and argue semantics over, it had already piqued the interest of Hollywood. Barbarian director Zach Cregger's script became the subject of a bidding war between New Line Cinema and Jordan Peele’s production company, after which New Line secured the bag. From the initial trailer, people ran wild, postulating theories on what the plot could possibly be and why those kids were running like that. The marketing of the film was purposely vague, full of twists and turns, providing zero context, and leaving the audience to continue theorizing. However, the biggest reveal, upon release, was a character who didn’t feature in any promo for the film at all.

Her design was practically begging to be turned into a Halloween costume, and that she was. Gladys became a horror sensation; you couldn’t go online over last summer without seeing something about this woman. Following her recent predecessors like M3GAN and the Babadook, she cemented herself into the Gay Halloween Hall of Fame. This very fact is what makes Amy Madigan’s performance so amazing to witness: she’s malleable, able to be scary and ridiculous in equal measure. Madigan rightfully received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at this year’s Academy Awards, continuing to break the cycle of the Oscars ignoring the genre following the multiple nominations for The Substance last year.

Beyond that, I find it genuinely exciting that the mold and formula to being nominated for an Oscar has diverged over the past couple of years. It is possible to do a fun, out-there performance as a woman and be recognized for artistic greatness. Actresses can wear a ridiculous tracksuit in a horror film and still receive an Academy Award nomination. Breaking away from the snobbery attached to certain genres doesn't mean losing the Oscars prestige, and while the competition this year is tough, I can’t wait to see Amy Madigan walk across that stage and bring home the bacon.

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