Why Didn't Mia Goth Get an Oscar Nod?

We're big fans of Pearl around here. It was a horror hit last year that even Martin Scorsese praised. Actor Mia Goth gave a heck of an unhinged performance as the titular slasher. She shot Pearl in secret immediately after X, and, it turns out, also prepped for Brandon Cronenberg's Infinity Pool at the same time.

Goth is a dedicated and talented performer, and many thought this dedication would put her in the middle of awards contention this year. But when Oscar noms were announced, Goth wasn't in the mix.

While, yes, there were many strong performances this year, horror fans were right to hope. Of course, Pearl distributor A24 has another major contender that carried the most nominations, Everything Everywhere All at Once, so maybe all the weight was getting thrown around there. But in the best actress category, there was probably room for Goth. I would call Ana de Armas's nominations a surprise. Is Armas incredibly talented? Yes, but I didn't necessarily see her showing up there.

'Pearl'Credit: A24

"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. I don't really—I don't know why. I think a change is necessary, that a shift should take place, and if they wanted to engage with the wider public, I think it would be of benefit, really."

Maybe some don't know that awards season is a campaign, and you have to advocate for yourself and your project, just like politics. So I think it's right for Goth to point that out.

She also points out that AMPAS is always trying to stay relevant by both expanding the best picture category and cutting below-the-line awards from its telecast. Maybe not always making the right decisions, we'll add.

Horror sometimes gets a bad name because it's cheap and doesn't require big-name talent to be a financial success. But horror is also where a lot of exciting and unique storytelling is happening, from last year's timeline-jumping Barbarian to several artful entries at this year's Sundance Film Festival (see Talk to Me and In My Mother's Skin). Horror and other genre films should be part of the awards discussion, especially when they are doing so much to push the boundary of the art form.

You can see the full interview clip below.

And let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Source: Twitter