The Fangoria Chainsaw Awards are finally back and better than ever, celebrating all of the best in horror that has been given us to us in the past year. For so many fans of the genre, horror ended up being their saving grace in a year that played out very much like a horror movie itself. Scary movies in all forms - be they about monsters, ghosts, demons, or humans - can be the most affecting and memorable experiences one can have in the theater or alone in their bedroom in the middle of the night. It's the most visceral of cinema because of its ability to get under your skin, make you shout, shock and disgust you, and just elicit reactions in general. It draws on the rawest of emotions and can often leave viewers legitimately changed.
This year's nominees included creature features, body swaps, ghost stories, psychological thrills, colorful bursts of insanity, politically and socially charged terrors, new takes on old classics, and an anthology film that reminds us how fun the genre can be. With the rise of horror streaming service Shudder, more films than ever have been given a platform to find their audiences in a year where theaters were forced to close.
It's no wonder that Shudder exclusives cover the nominations this year, and that the award ceremony premiered live exclusively on the streaming service. It was hosted by actor and writer David Dastmalchian (Ant-Man and the Wasp) and featured Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween), Keith David (The Thing), Gigi Saul Guerrero (director, Culture Shock), Issa Lopez (director, Tigers Are Not Afraid), Kevin Smith (Clerks), Tananarive Due (Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror), Blumhouse founder and CEO Jason Blum, James Jude Courtney (Halloween), Doug Jones (The Shape of Water) and drag artist and The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula season two winner Biqtch Puddin’ as presenters.
Dastmalchian did a splendid job as host and the ceremony featured Smiling Beth as its musical act with a performance of A Piano Walks Home Alone at Night.
The full list of nominees and winners are below:
BEST WIDE RELEASE MOVIE
Freaky
Gretel & Hansel
The Hunt
The Invisible Man - WINNER
Underwater
BEST LIMITED RELEASE MOVIE
Color Out of Space - WINNER
The Dark and the Wicked
Possessor
Relic
The Wolf of Snow Hollow
BEST FIRST FEATURE
Amulet
Come to Daddy - WINNER
Dead Dicks
Extra Ordinary
Sea Fever
BEST STREAMING PREMIERE MOVIE
Anything For Jackson
The Beach House
His House
Host - WINNER
The Mortuary Collection
Run
BEST INTERNATIONAL MOVIE
Bacurau
Blood Quantum
Impetigore
La Llorona - WINNER
Sputnik
BEST SERIES
Dracula
The Haunting of Bly Manor
Helstrom
Lovecraft Country
What We Do in the Shadows - WINNER
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE
Jim Cummings – The Wolf of Snow Hollow
Sopé Dìrísù – His House
Jeremy Gardner – After Midnight
Heston Horwin – Dead Dicks
Marin Ireland – The Dark and the Wicked
Carla Juri – Amulet
Tamara Lawrance – Kindred
Emily Mortimer – Relic
Wunmi Mosaku – His House
Elisabeth Moss – The Invisible Man - WINNER
Andrea Riseborough – Possessor
Alec Secareanu – Amulet
Vince Vaughn – Freaky
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE
Xander Berkeley – The Dark and the Wicked
Clancy Brown – The Mortuary Collection - WINNER
Will Forte – Extra Ordinary
Brea Grant – After Midnight
Udo Kier – Bacurau
Alice Krige – Gretel & Hansel
Stephen McHattie – Come to Daddy
Robyn Nevin – Relic
Julie Oliver-Touchstone – The Dark and the Wicked
Misha Osherovich – Freaky
Vanessa Williams – Bad Hair
BEST DIRECTOR
Bryan Bertino – The Dark and the Wicked
Justin G. Dyck – Anything for Jackson
Romola Garai – Amulet
Natalie Erika James – Relic
Remi Weekes – His House
Leigh Whannell – The Invisible Man - WINNER
BEST SCREENPLAY
Kleber Mendonça Filho & Juliano Dornelles – Bacurau
Toby Harvard – Come to Daddy
Michael Kennedy & Christopher Landon – Freaky
Remi Weekes – His House
Leigh Whannell – The Invisible Man - WINNER
BEST SCORE
Roque Baños – His House
Rob – Gretel & Hansel
Tom Schraeder – The Dark and the Wicked
Jim Williams – Possessor - WINNER
Christopher Young & Lustmord – The Empty Man
BEST MAKEUP FX
Alterian Studios – Freaky
Amalgamated Dynamics – The Mortuary Collection
Liz Byrne – Gretel & Hansel
Paul Jones – Random Acts of Violence
Dan Martin – Possessor - WINNER
BEST CREATURE FX
Jim Henson Studio – Come Play
David Martí & Montse Ribé, – His House
Dan Martin – Color Out of Space - WINNER
Erik Porn – The Wretched
Cliff Wallace – Amulet
ACHIEVEMENT IN NON-FICTION
Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life and Ghastly Death of Al Adamson
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Resurrection
Cursed Films
The Last Drive-in With Joe Bob Briggs - WINNER
Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist
Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street
Best Kill also went to The Invisible Man, further solidifying the film's well-deserved domination of the awards this year. Congratulations to all of the winners and nominees.
