If you haven’t already heard, Curry Barker’s Obsession has taken over the box office and is bringing fresh ideas and new faces to the big screen. Things are going great for the horror lovers this year, especially for Barker, who has made a name for himself in the industry at just 26 years old. The film was shot in about 26 days and had a low production budget by Hollywood standards of $750,000, and has already made over 300 times its production budget. It has become one of the most profitable horror films in recent years, grossing over $300 million worldwide. Barker’s success sheds light on the evolving landscape of Hollywood and reveals changing audience preferences.
Before Obsession, Curry Barker was known only as a YouTube sketch comic, working with Cooper Tomlinson on their channel “that’s a bad idea.” In 2023, he wrote and directed the horror short film The Chair, which generated more than 10 million views on YouTube. He then came out with Milk & Serial, his own found-footage horror film. With a budget of $800 and a dream, he was unable to secure distribution and released it for free on YouTube in August of 2024. Since then, it has accumulated 135k likes and over 3 million views, catching the eyes of audiences and producers. Thanks to Milk & Serial, he was granted a representation deal with United Talent Agency in 2025. Barker’s audience had already been building organically for years, and thanks to Obsession, he is now known worldwide.
In an interview with triple j’s Angus Truskett, Barker discusses the pipeline from sketch comedy to horror, mentioning Jordan Peele’s success, and noting how the two genres complement each other. Barker explains that when your comedy brain is on, you study people and how they react to things. You try to notice what is funny. Due to this, the two genres of film intertwine perfectly; if you can understand psychology and how audiences’ brains work, then you can study them well enough to formulate a great film.
Obsession is a supernatural romance-horror story that follows Bear Bailey (Michael Johnston), who purchases a mysterious novelty toy called the One Wish Willow, which grants the buyer a single wish when the toy is broken. Bear wishes that his friend Nikki Freeman (Inde Navarrette) will love him more than anyone else. Almost immediately, the spell comes over her. She is extremely affectionate and loving towards him, and he becomes trapped in his own wish, as she goes off the rails and becomes deeply obsessed with him. The film not only gave audiences some great jump scares and disturbing moments (which I will have nightmares about for years to come), but it also touched on modern-day toxic relationships. Although extremely out there, there were many moments in the movie that people could resonate with in their own relationships, like Bear not being able to attend a boys’ night without Nikki freaking out, and eventually going with him. Overall, this is more than just a horror movie. Barker explores desire, control, and the dangers of toxic and manipulative relationships, which is why the film had such a large impact on audiences.
Being a 26-year-old, Barker also understands younger audiences on a personal level. He is bringing an original idea to the table with a film that lacks A-list actors, exposing us to great new talent we haven’t seen before. Barker shows his expertise in making us feel uneasy, especially in scenes like the one where Nikki has the uncanny- valley face in the corner of the room. Growing up in the era of social media, he understands popular trends, comedy that resonates with young people, and the type of horror Gen Z audiences want to see on screen. He also has a genuine passion for creating, and that kind of passion translates onto the screen.
It appears as though the future of filmmaking is going to be creator-led, creating room for fresh perspectives and a new creative process. Talent is coming less from film schools and more from small creators who make art for art’s sake versus for a studio. Remakes are becoming tired, and the people are hungry for new classics.
Barker is now in post-production for his supernatural horror film Anything but Ghosts. The film is set in the same fictional universe as Obsession, but this time two fake paranormal investigators face actual ghosts in their business. Audiences are excited to see this next film, and Hollywood is relieved to have a new wave of young filmmakers creating original stories. Only time will tell whether Obsession marks a temporary or permanent shift in the industry.
