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Curry Barker

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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
  • Director
  • producer
  • screenwriter
  • editor
  • actor
  • comedian
  • YouTuber
Years active2017–present
YouTube information
Channel
Genres
Subscribers1.62 million
Views827 million
Last updated: August 8, 2026

Curry Barker (born September 22, 1999) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, 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 (2026), the latter of which grossed over $488 million worldwide, making it one of the highest grossing independent films of all time.

Early life

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Barker was born on September 22, 1999,[1][circular reporting?] and grew up in Mobile, Alabama. His mother is a graphic designer, and his father was a psychiatric nurse practitioner who later became a professional screenwriter. He has two brothers named Riley and Jeffrey, both of whom have collaborated on his films.[2]

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 (2003) 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. He attended Baker High School.[2][3]

Career

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Aspiring to be an actor, Barker left home at 18 to study at the New York Film Academy (NYFA) 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".[a][1][4] Barker and Tomlinson soon dropped out, moved in together, and began publishing comedy sketches and short films on YouTube and TikTok, while Barker worked at Starbucks.[4][5][2] Barker had occasional acting roles in other productions, including guest appearances in television series Dave and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia in 2023.[4][6]

In 2023, Barker wrote and directed the horror short film The Chair and uploaded it to YouTube,[7] where it was watched more than 10 million times.[5] Film producer James Harris of Tea Shop Productions contacted Barker, suggesting he adapt it into a feature, but Barker instead pitched Obsession (2025), a horror film.[8]

Barker directed the $800 found footage horror film Milk & Serial (2024).[5][9] After spending a year trying to get distribution, Barker ultimately decided to release the full film on YouTube. The film went viral,[10][5] leading to a representation deal with United Talent Agency in early 2025.[4]

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-Atomic Monster and Spooky Pictures banners, respectively, alongside Divide/Conquer.[11] The film is set to be released by Focus Features.[12]

On a $750,000 budget, Obsession grossed over $430 million worldwide as it became a sensation.[13] TheWrap compared Barker and Kane Parsons—whose Backrooms (2026) was simultaneously very successful—to David F. Sandberg. All three began by creating YouTube videos before directing Hollywood feature films.[14]

In April 2026, it was announced that Barker would be writing and directing a reboot of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre with A24.[14][15][16]

In June 2026, it was announced that Barker would be writing, directing, and producing an original horror film for Universal Pictures. Blum, James Wan, Lee, Schneider, Adam Hendricks and Greg Gilreath will produce through their Blumhouse-Atomic Monster, Spooky Pictures and Divide/Conquer banners, respectively.[17][18]

Filmography

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Feature film

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Year Title Director Writer Producer Editor Actor Notes Ref.
2024 Milk & Serial Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Feature directorial debut
2025 Obsession Yes Yes No Yes Yes Theatrical debut, cameo as "Man on the phone"
TBA Anything but Ghosts † Yes Yes Executive Yes Yes Post-production, executive producer, co-written and starring with Cooper Tomlinson [11]

Short film

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Year Title Director Writer Producer Editor Actor Notes Ref.
2019 Real World Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes [1]
2020 Contemplation Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes [1]
2020 We Don't Feel Pain!! (we tried a ritual) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes [19]
2020 Meanwhile Outside the Bank Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes [1]
2021 Drywall Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes [1]
2022 Heavy Eyes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes [1]
2023 Warnings Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes [1]
2024 That's a Bad Idea Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Music video [20]
2024 Striking Gold Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes [1]
2025 Fly Me to the Earth No Yes Yes Yes Yes [19]
2026 C.E.O. No No No No Yes Music video [21]

Web series

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YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
2017–presentThat's a Bad IdeaVarious, himselfSketch comedy YouTube channel

Notes

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  1. ↑ Stylized in lower case

References

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  1. 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.
  2. 1 2 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.
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. 1 2 3 4 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.
  5. 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.
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ 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.
  8. ↑ 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.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. 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.
  12. ↑ "Anything But Ghosts; Motion picture". U.S. Copyright Office. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
  13. ↑ "How an indie horror film became a box-office 'Obsession'". NBC News. May 25, 2026. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  14. 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.
  15. ↑ 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.
  16. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 22, 2026). "'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' A24 Remake To Be Directed by Curry Barker". Deadline. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  17. ↑ Garner, Glenn (June 19, 2026). "Curry Barker Sets Third Film With Universal, Blumhouse-Atomic Monster". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  18. ↑ Kit, Borys (June 19, 2026). "Curry Barker's Next Film Lands at Universal, Blumhouse Atomic Monster (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  19. 1 2 that's a bad idea Playlists. that's a bad idea – via YouTube.
  20. ↑ that's a bad idea (July 12, 2024). "That's a Bad Idea". Retrieved July 29, 2026 – via YouTube.
  21. ↑ Weezer (August 5, 2026). "Weezer - C.E.O. (Official Music Video)". Retrieved August 5, 2026 – via YouTube.
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