Why is horror mostly immune to the public’s waning interest in movie going? And how do directors keep churning out inventive stories while the rest of Hollywood clings to sequels, reboots and remakes?

It starts with the nature of horror itself. We’ve all watched a slasher film at home and shuddered over any unexpected sounds. It’s scary to watch a shocker at home, alone, and in a darkened den, no less. …

The movie theater offers the opposite. You’re sitting in a sea of strangers, clutching your armrests while others are doing the same. You gasp at a jump scare, and a dozen people do the same.

Maybe more.

That communal experience is why the theatrical model still matters.