There's been no shortage of reasons to be afraid in 2017, a year marked by political upheaval, natural disasters, and national tragedies across the board. Yet, contrary to what you might expect, audiences turned out in droves to get an added dose of terror from killer clowns, possessed dolls, and whatever other creepy creations filmmakers conjured up for audiences. Don't get me wrong, it's not a surprise to see horror do well. The oft-ignored genre has long been a reliable, affordable backbone of the film industry despite the ritual shunning come awards season, but even with that in mind, 2017 has been a truly stunning year for horror. It's a year of six Stephen King adaptations, when an outright horror film has a shot at a best picture nomination, and when the box office soared to become the biggest, highest-grossing year for horror of all time.