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"It’s a huge step," says Sophie Thatcher, "People are finally taking it seriously."

The two "it"s that Thatcher are referring to are, firstly, the handful of Oscar nominations that Coralie Fargeat's The Substance have racked up this year, and secondly, the horror genre. Thatcher oughtta know  - not only is she the breakout star of paranormal chiller Yellowjackets, she's also starring in the upcoming AI terror tale Companion, opposite Jack Quaid. At the Companion premiere, both Thatcher and Quaid were raring to give their opinions on the cinematic horror sphere, and The Hollywood Reporter was there to capture them. 

"The horror genre is in such a good space right now," Thatcher continues, building off the idea that The Substance's nomination seems to be breaking The Academy's years of largely ignoring great horror films. She continues, "For any type of storytelling, and I think we’re in such a heightened place in the world right now that horror feels like a really cathartic release."

Thatcher's not alone in thinking that the horror genre is a strangely healing force during our current dystopic nightmare. Many horror fans (yours truly included) have touched on the idea that watching horror from the safety of a theater or couch helps prepare us to face the real horrors of the world outside. One of those fans who agrees was actually on the carpet with Thatcher, and gave his thoughts shortly after.

"I love it," says Jack Quaid of The Boys fame, "I think horror is such an incredibly important genre, especially right now. I think you can tell so many stories within the horror genre, there are so many different subgenres within it and I’m just glad that it continues to get more love. I think it’s slowly becoming one of the most important genres that we have because that’s where we can get out all of our fears about the world that we live in."

Quaid, as THR points out, has extra reason to laud both horror and The Substance these days - his dad, Dennis, is in the film. Of course, if you think about it, being at a horror premiere gives both Quaid and Thatcher every reason to sing the genre's praises, especially since they're starring in one of the genre's offerings. But hey, that doesn't mean their comments are any less true.

The 97th Academy Awards air on the official Oscars partner network ABC, March 2, 2025, at 7:00 PM EST. I'll certainly be watching and rooting for The Substance, and I wouldn't be surprised if Thatcher and Quaid will be joining me.

In the immortal words of Danny Elfman, "Life's no fun without a good scare." We couldn't agree more, which is why we've cobbled together a couple pieces to send a chill up your spine. Join Popverse as we explore:

• The best horror movies of all time, according to horror aficionado Greg Silber
• The most underrated horror movies from the past couple years
• All the new and upcoming horror movies for 2025 and beyond

And much gore. Er, more. Much more.