Director Curry Barker on Crafting the Horror of Focus Features' 'Obsession'
Curry joined Jacqueline Coley to unpack the origins of 'Obsession' and discuss his approach to grounding a supernatural story in the complexities of real relationships.
May 20, 2026
Director Curry Barker on Crafting the Horror of Focus Features' 'Obsession'
Curry Barker didn’t wait for a greenlight to start making movies. The 26-year-old filmmaker built a following on social media alongside his comedy partner Cooper Tomlinson, while also gaining traction for DIY horror shorts and YouTube released no-budget feature, Milk & Serial. Now working with Focus Features and Blumhouse, Curry has made his first studio feature with horror movie, Obsession.
In this episode, Curry joins Jacqueline Coley to unpack the origins of Obsession and discuss his approach to grounding a supernatural story in the complexities of real relationships. Curry shares early inspirations and his admiration for filmmakers like Jordan Peele and Leigh Whannell - and examines why he believes so many comedians successfully transition into horror.
From making independent movies with friends to becoming one of horror’s most buzzed-about new voices, Curry reflects on how his indie and comedy roots continue to shape his filmmaking—and looks ahead to what’s next, including upcoming features, Anything But Ghosts and A24’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre, cementing a delightfully demented cinematic voice we can continue to be obsessed with.
