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About

Curry Barker

American filmmaker and YouTuber (born 1999)

Curry Barker

Curry Barker is an American filmmaker, comedian, actor, and YouTuber. He is known for the sketch comedy YouTube channel "that's a bad idea", which he co-created with Cooper Tomlinson. He directed and wrote the horror films Milk & Serial (2024) and Obsession (2025).

Curry Barker

Curry Barker
Photograph of director Curry Barker in 2026
Barker in 2026
Born (1999-09-22) September 22, 1999 (age 26)
Mobile, Alabama, U.S.
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
  • editor
  • actor
  • comedian
  • YouTuber
Years active2017–present
Known forObsession
YouTube information
Channel
Genres
Subscribers1.2 million
Views605 million
Last updated: June 8, 2026

Curry Barker (born September 22, 1999) is an American filmmaker, comedian, actor, and YouTuber.[a] He is known for the sketch comedy YouTube channel "that's a bad idea",[b] which he co-created with Cooper Tomlinson. He directed and wrote the horror films Milk & Serial (2024) and Obsession (2025).

Early life

Barker was born on September 22, 1999,[2] and grew up in Mobile, Alabama. In a 2026 interview, he stated that he had an interest in horror from a young age, noting that his viewing of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre when he was 11 years old led him to want to chase the feeling of being shocked. A self-described "straight-C and -D student", Barker participated in the marching band, had his own rock band and ran a YouTube channel with friends.[3] He attended Baker High School.[4]

Career

Aspiring to be an actor, Barker left home at eighteen to study at the New York Film Academy campus in Los Angeles. During his first week, he met fellow student Cooper Tomlinson, and they soon began making videos together on YouTube, which they described as "our film school outside of film school", forming the sketch comedy duo "that's a bad idea".[b][2][5] They began publishing comedy sketches and short films on YouTube and TikTok.[5][6] Barker had occasional acting roles in other productions, including guest appearances in Dave and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia in 2023.[5][7]

In 2023, Barker wrote and directed the horror short film The Chair and uploaded it to YouTube,[8] where it was watched more than 10 million times.[6] Film producer James Harris of Tea Shop Productions reached out to Barker to adapt it into a feature, but Barker instead pitched his horror film Obsession (2025).[9]

Barker directed the $800 found footage horror film Milk & Serial (2024).[6][10] Despite spending a year trying to get distribution, Barker ultimately decided to release the full film on YouTube. The film went viral,[11][6] leading to a representation deal with United Talent Agency in early 2025.[5]

On September 3, 2025, in advance of Obsession's TIFF premiere, it was announced that Barker would direct and co-write his third feature horror film, Anything but Ghosts, and co-star in it. The project is produced by Jason Blum, Roy Lee, and Steven Schneider through their Blumhouse Productions and Spooky Pictures banners, respectively, alongside Divide/Conquer.[12] The film is set to be released by Focus Features.[13]

On a $750,000 budget, Obsession grossed $166.6 million worldwide as it went viral.[14] TheWrap compared Barker and Kane Parsons—whose Backrooms was simultaneously very successful—to David F. Sandberg. All three began by creating YouTube videos before directing Hollywood feature films.[15]

In April 2026, it was announced that Barker would be writing and directing a reboot of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre with A24 Films.[15][16] [17]

Filmography

Feature film

Year Title Director Writer Producer Editor Actor Notes Ref.
2021 Life in Long Beach No No No No Yes [18]
2023 B-Side: For Taylor No No No No Yes [5]
2024 Milk & Serial Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Feature directorial debut
2025 Obsession Yes Yes No Yes Yes Theatrical debut
TBA Anything but Ghosts Yes Yes No Yes Yes Post-production; executive producer; co-written and starring with Cooper Tomlinson [12]

Short films

Year Title Director Writer Producer Editor Actor Notes Ref.
2019 Real World Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes [2]
2020 Contemplation Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes [2]
We Don't Feel Pain!! (we tried a ritual) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes [19]
Meanwhile Outside the Bank Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes [2]
2021 Drywall Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes [2]
2022 Heavy Eyes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes [2]
2023 The Chair Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes [20]
Enigma Yes No Yes Yes Yes [21]
Warnings Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes [2]
2024 That's a Bad Idea Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Music video [22]
Striking Gold Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes [2]
2025 Fly Me to the Earth No Yes Yes Yes Yes [19]

Web series

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
2018–2019; on hiatusRoommatesGrant BakerMain cast, also writer, director[23]
2024; on hiatusPrivately InvestigatedPhineas NixMain cast, also co-creator[24]

Television series

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2023 Dave Seymore Episode: "Rebirthday"; uncredited [5][25]
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Joey Episode: "Risk E. Rat's Pizza and Amusement Center" [5][26]

Notes

  1. ↑ Barker does not consider himself a YouTuber.[1]
  2. 1 2 Stylized in lower case

References

  1. ↑ Hibberd, James (June 15, 2026). "Curry Barker Got His Wish: Inside the 'Obsession' Director's Wild Month (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. I never thought of myself as a YouTuber. [...] YouTube was just a platform.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Films directed by Curry Barker". Letterboxd. Archived from the original on May 15, 2026. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  3. ↑ Barasch, Alex (May 11, 2026). "The Twenty-Six-Year-Old Behind "Obsession," a Terrifying Tale of a Crush Gone Awry". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on May 24, 2026.
  4. ↑ Walton, Ella (May 18, 2026). "Mobile native's film 'Obsession' debuts with $16.1M in domestic ticket sales". Mobile Bay Now. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Couch, Aaron (March 10, 2025). "'Milk & Serial' Filmmaker Curry Barker Signs with UTA (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 10, 2025. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Earl, William (August 26, 2024). "How 'Milk & Serial,' a Clever Slasher Made for $800 and Released for Free on YouTube, Became a Must-Watch for Horror Fans". Variety. Archived from the original on August 26, 2024. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  7. ↑ Earl, William (September 5, 2025). "After His Microbudget Debut Haunted 2 Million People on YouTube, Curry Barker Brings 'Crazy Horror' to TIFF With Twisted Love Story 'Obsession'". Variety. Archived from the original on September 5, 2025. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  8. ↑ Couch, Aaron (October 28, 2024). "Want to Be a Horror Director? Upload Your Movie to YouTube". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 8, 2026. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  9. ↑ Saito, Stephen (September 6, 2025). "TIFF 2025 Interview: Curry Barker on Crushing It in "Obsession"". The Moveable Fest. Archived from the original on October 11, 2025. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  10. ↑ Couch, Aaron (September 10, 2025). "A Year Ago, He Was Making $800 YouTube Movies. Now He's Sold a Horror Pic for Millions". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 10, 2026. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  11. ↑ Heritage, Stuart (August 28, 2024). "Milk & Serial: the vicious, viral $800-budget horror that's free to watch". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on May 21, 2026. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  12. 1 2 Couch, Aaron (September 3, 2025). "Curry Barker to Direct, Star in 'Anything But Ghosts' for Jason Blum, Roy Lee (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 5, 2025. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Anything But Ghosts; Motion picture". U.S. Copyright Office. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
  14. ↑ "How an indie horror film became a box-office 'Obsession'". NBC News. May 25, 2026. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  15. 1 2 Fuster, Jeremy (June 5, 2026). "Before Curry Barker or Kane Parsons, There Was David F. Sandberg. Here's His Advice". TheWrap. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
  16. ↑ Moreau, Jordan (May 16, 2026). "'Obsession' Director Curry Barker on His Theatrical Debut, Cutting a Darker Ending and Taking on 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' Next". Variety. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  17. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 22, 2026). "'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' A24 Remake To Be Directed by Curry Barker". Deadline. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Life in Long Beach". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  19. 1 2 that's a bad idea Playlists. that's a bad idea – via YouTube.
  20. ↑ "The Chair (2023)". IMDb. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Enigma (2023)". IMDb. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
  22. ↑ That's a Bad Idea. that's a bad idea. 2024 – via YouTube.
  23. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLkmfC6FnUyhPapygx_ODLTB_5nCl-yOk
  24. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLkmfC6FnUygnHGMITp6Euypaikur8mQ4
  25. ↑ "Dave (TV Series) - Full Cast & Crew". IMDb. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Risk E. Rat's Pizza and Amusement Center - Full Cast & Crew". IMDb. Retrieved June 2, 2026.