‘Obsession’ director Curry Barker releases a new horror short just in time for Halloween
Curry Barker has found room for one more scare before Halloween. After bringing 'Obsession' to theaters, the filmmaker has returned to the platform where audiences first discovered his work. His latest offering is 'Mama Bear', a horror short that begins with a nap and a phone call no one would want to wake up to. This time, watching his work only requires opening YouTube.
Released October 29 on That’s a Bad Idea, the channel Barker runs with collaborator Cooper Tomlinson, 'Mama Bear' is available to watch for free. The Windows-sponsored project runs roughly five minutes. Barker wrote, directed, and edited the short himself. It follows Floyd, a house cleaner played by Jon Lee Richardson, whose break on a client’s couch ends when his phone starts buzzing.
The caller warns Floyd that a woman is coming to kill him. Floyd has no idea what he has supposedly done, and the conversation leaves him struggling to understand the danger. Katie Sarife plays Lacey, while Ericka Kreuz appears as Ms. Wilson. The less viewers know about what follows, the more room there is for the short’s central mystery to unfold.
Fans of 'Obsession' will recognize Barker’s use of darkness and figures lurking at the edges of a room. The short also brings back collaborators from that film, including production designer Vivian Gray and costume designer Blair James. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, James described how quickly the project came together. “We shot this three and a half weeks ago; it was a really quick turnaround,” she said.
The return to YouTube follows a path Barker was building long before his theatrical breakthrough. His earlier releases include 'Warnings', 'The Chair', and the feature 'Milk & Serial'. 'The Chair' caught producer James Harris’s attention and helped pave the way for 'Obsession'. Barker also released 'Milk & Serial', made for a reported $800, directly on YouTube.
His next feature, 'Anything But Ghosts', is scheduled for theaters on May 7, 2027. Barker directs and co-wrote the horror-comedy with Tomlinson. The pair also star alongside Bryce Dallas Howard and Aaron Paul. The story follows pretend paranormal investigators who encounter a real haunting, but viewers looking for something from Barker this Halloween already have 'Mama Bear' ready to play.
