TheOscarnominees have come out, and many horror fans are upset over the perceived snubs that the genre has received this year. BesidesNope not being nominated for a single award,the biggest overlookis how scream queenMia Gothdidn’t get nominated for her performance inPearl: An X-traordinary Origin Story. A film that Goth co-wrote alongside director Ti West.As the title suggests,Pearldetails the origin story of Goth’s villain character fromX.Pearl’s a farmhand who dreams of being a star while dealing with an overbearing mother, a catatonic father, a pandemic, and growing mental instability. Towards the end of the film, Goth performed an 8-minute monologue commonly seen as a highlight in the movie.
While promotingInfinity Poolalongside Alexander Skarsgård, Goth and her co-star were asked by Jake Hamilton why they believed that, with only a few exceptions, horror was “such a hard genre to get a group like the Academy to take more seriously.” In response, Goth gave multiple reasons for why that might be.
RELATED:The Latest Infinity Pool Character Posters Tease More Terror From Mia Goth and Alexander Skarsgård
Goth’s Response
Here’s her full quote, edited for clarity:
“I think that it’s very political and that it’s not entirely based on the quality of a project per se. I think there’s a lot going on there. A lot of cooks in the kitchen when it comes to nominations and categories that are recognized. I don’t know, maybe I shouldn’t say that either, but I think that’s true. I think a lot of people know that. And I don’t really, I don’t know why. I think change is necessary. There has to be a, you know, a shift should take place really. And if they wanted to engage with the wider public, then I think it would be of benefit, really.”
John Squires, Editor-in-Chief of Bloody Disgusting, responded to what he thought Goth meant by that over Twitter. He thought she meant that for a movie to get nominated by the Academy, the studio first needs to submit it for consideration “and in most cases put money behind pushing it.” But, like Hamilton, Squires added that Goth deserved that recognition for Pearl.
WhileInfinity Poolreleases to general audiences on Jan. 27,Pearlis available to watch on DVD and streaming. Goth will also reunite with West one more time withMaXXXine, which is set to continue the story that they started inX. The final (?) film in the series does not yet have a release date, but Goth has stated that it’s the best one yet.
