I’ve been around since the 90s. I know all too well the history (or lack thereof) of horror at the Academy Awards. Year after year, the genre gets passed over for “prestige” projects that no one remembers one year later. Lately, though, there seems to have been a slight shift, as the powers that be recognize that horror is, in fact, quite popular and deserving of recognition. The Academy just released the Oscars Shortlist for the 2026 Academy Awards, and it certainly seems to reflect that.

By this point, it...