Its indisputable horror is hot right now, having been on a winning streak since 2018, and that’s not just on the big screen. Terror has haunted the tube in that time too, and with the rise of streaming original movies, has become one of the preferred genres to terrify us from the comfort of our own home.
Finally, it appears Hollywood is recognizing the genre’s overwhelming popularity with viewing audiences on the small screen, with the 2023 Primetime Emmy Award and Creative Emmy Award nominations being dominated by genre fare.
The Last of Us scores big, with an impressive 24 nominations in all. These include nominations for Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay as lead actor and actress, with Storm Reid, Murray Bartlett, and Anna Torv among a slew of cast members nominated for Best Guest Performance. Nods were also given for directing, writing, digital effects, make-up, and Best Drama Series.
Tim Burton secured a directing nod for Netflix’s enormously successful Addams Family spin-off Wednesday. Among the other 11 nods the show received are Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for star Jenna Ortega and Best Comedy Series.
Netflix again reigned supreme in the Limited Series category, with Ryan Murphy’s Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story garnering copious mentions. These include both directing and writing for Murphy, Best Actor in a Limited Series for Evan Peters, and Best Limited Series, among others.
Perhaps the biggest horror surprise the Emmy nominations held was the recognition given to 2022’s Hulu Original Movie Prey, a prequel to the Predator franchise. The film landed nods for Best Television Movie as well as Best Writing and Best Directing in a Television Movie for Dan Trachtenberg. Of course, the film’s outstanding practical and digital effects were also acknowledged, as it would’ve been criminal not to do so.
This is quite the coup for horror-based television, and certainly bodes well for a long and storied future for the genre on the small screen. Congratulations to all the nominees, and we’re keeping our fingers crossed.
