What actually makes a story scary? From Stephen King and Jordan Peele to The Blair Witch Project, Final Destination and The Babadook, this anatomy of horror pulls fear apart to see how structure, psychology, anticipation and emotional stakes make it work.

Smile turns trauma into something that follows you. Smile 2 puts that trauma onstage. From Skye Riley’s public unraveling to the way we consume famous women in crisis, this essay looks at what changed when the curse gained an audience, and where the franchise should go next.