Amy Madigan's supporting actress win was my Oscars 2026 highlight — and I'm once again recommending Weapons to everyone I meet

Weapons made history at the 2026 Oscars as Amy Madigan became just the seventh person to win an acting Oscar for a horror movie. I was jumping for joy when she won Best Supporting Actress for her iconic and chilling role as Aunt Gladys.

Zach Cregger's horror hit Weapons has a very special place in my heart. It remains one of the best things I've done in my career, as I interviewed Cregger, where we discussed the movie's viral marketing. Later, I was very excited to see my Weapons review quoted on the physical media release, which I now proudly own a copy of.

My five-star review of the movie speaks for itself, but Madigan's win gives hope for a long-time horror fan like me who has seen horror ignored time and time again. Sinners and Frankenstein doing well has only strengthened my belief that horror will continue to shine from this moment on.

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However, last year, we saw both Margaret Qualley and Demi Moore overlooked for The Substance, although that movie did receive recognition for its makeup and hairstyling, quite rightly. Elsewhere, Toni Colette wasn't nominated for Hereditary, despite giving a powerhouse performance, and the brilliant Florence Pugh was also ignored for Midsommar.

Seeing a woman win big for a horror film is a triumph, and the kind of thing I hope for each time an awards ceremony rolls around. Amy Madigan steals the show with Aunt Gladys in Weapons, and I'm urging everyone to watch the movie now that it's available on HBO Max.

Why I'm recommending Weapons... again

It's pretty obvious how much I love this movie, but there's something beautiful about watching it now that Madigan has received the recognition she deserved.

Honestly, her Oscars speech is reason enough to go see her in action. She speaks in an incredibly real, down-to-earth way, where she thanks her children, dogs, and husband and fellow actor Ed Harris, and makes a joke about shaving her legs before the ceremony, only to end up wearing pants anyway. Her joy truly is infectious; I was smiling the whole time.

So watching her as Gladys is particularly spellbinding, because she delivers lines so utterly chilling that they gave me goosebumps, a far cry from the down-to-earth speech she delivered at the Oscars, and I want as many people as possible to see her performance.

Madigan has been waiting a very long time for this Oscar, as she was first nominated 40 years ago for Twice in a Lifetime. Her win is wonderful, for her but also for the community of horror fans who have been waiting for the genre to be taken seriously for once.

Gladys will go down in history as one of my favorite horror villains due to her eccentric nature and the cold, evil things she is capable of. There are many reasons to love Weapons, and the entire cast gave their all, but Madigan's award-winning performance is going to haunt my dreams for a long time.

Honestly, I don't mind one bit. Long live Aunt Gladys.

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