Curry Barker
Barker in 2026
Born (1999-09-22) September 22, 1999 (age 26)
Mobile, Alabama, U.S.
Occupations
  • Filmmaker
  • actor
  • comedian
Known for Sketch comedy on That's a Bad Idea with Cooper Tomlinson
Notable work Obsession
Milk & Serial

Curry Barker (born September 22, 1999)[1] is an American actor, filmmaker, and comedian. He is generally associated with the internet sketch comedy duo "that's a bad idea" alongside Cooper Tomlinson. He directed the horror films Milk & Serial (2024) and Obsession (2025).

Career

Barker most commonly works with Cooper Tomlinson and is part of the sketch comedy duo "that's a bad idea", where the duo are best known for making short comedy and horror films for YouTube.[2] In addition to his own films and projects, Barker has also had occasional acting roles in other productions, including guest appearances in Dave[3] and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, in 2023.[4]

In 2024, Barker made his directorial debut with the found footage horror film Milk & Serial, which became a viral video sensation,[5] leading to a representation deal with United Talent Agency in early 2025.[6] That same year, Barker directed the horror film Obsession, which screened in the Midnight Madness block at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival on September 5, 2025, and was named first runner-up for the People's Choice Award: Midnight Madness.[7] Two days later, Focus Features had reportedly entered exclusive talks to acquire distribution rights to the film for the world excluding France, New Zealand and Russia for over $15 million; the deal officially closed in October 2025.[8] In December 2025, it was revealed that Jason Blum and Blumhouse Productions had joined the film.[9]

On September 3, 2025, in advance of Obsession's TIFF premiere, it was announced that Barker would be directing, co-writing and co-starring in his third feature horror film, Anything but Ghosts, with Jason Blum, Roy Lee and Steven Schneider producing through their Blumhouse Productions and Spooky Pictures banner, respectively, alongside Divide/Conquer.[10] The film is set to be released by Focus Features.[11] On April 21, 2026, it was announced that Barker would be writing and directing a reimagining of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the tenth installment in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise for A24.[12][13]

Filmography

Feature film

Year Title Director Writer Producer Editor Notes
2024 Milk & Serial Yes Yes Yes Yes Feature directorial debut
2025 Obsession Yes Yes No Yes
2027 Anything but Ghosts Yes Yes Executive Yes Post-production
TBA Untitled Texas Chainsaw Massacre film Yes Yes No TBA Pre-production

Short film

Year Title Director Writer Producer Editor Notes
2019 Real World Yes Yes Yes Yes
2020 Contemplation Yes Yes Yes Yes
2020 Meanwhile Outside the Bank Yes Yes Yes Yes
2021 Drywall Yes Yes Yes Yes
2022 Heavy Eyes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2023 The Chair Yes Yes Yes Yes
2023 Enigma Yes Yes Yes Yes
2023 Warnings Yes Yes Yes Yes
2024 Striking Gold Yes Yes Yes Yes

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2023 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Joey Episode: "Risk E. Rat's Pizza and Amusement Center"[14][better source needed]

References

  1. ^ "Films directed by Curry Barker". letterboxd.com. Archived from the original on May 15, 2026. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  2. ^ Aaron Couch, "A Year Ago, He Was Making $800 YouTube Movies. Now He’s Sold a Horror Pic For Millions". The Hollywood Reporter, September 10, 2025.
  3. ^ "'Milk & Serial' Filmmaker Curry Barker Signs with UTA (Exclusive)". Yahoo Entertainment. March 10, 2025. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ William Earl, "How ‘Milk & Serial,’ a Clever Slasher Made for $800 and Released for Free on YouTube, Became a Must-Watch for Horror Fans" Archived August 26, 2024, at the Wayback Machine. Variety, August 26, 2024.
  6. ^ Aaron Couch, "‘Milk & Serial’ Filmmaker Curry Barker Signs with UTA" Archived March 10, 2025, at the Wayback Machine. The Hollywood Reporter, March 10, 2025.
  7. ^ Pete Hammond, "‘Hamnet’ Wins Oscar-Predictive Toronto Film Festival People’s Choice Award" Archived September 14, 2025, at the Wayback Machine. Deadline Hollywood, September 14, 2025.
  8. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 7, 2025). "Focus Features Closing First Big TIFF Deal: Curry Barker Horror Film 'Obsession' Selling For $15M+ – The Dish". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 7, 2025. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  9. ^ "Blumhouse Boards Curry Barker's Romance-Themed Focus Horror Flick 'Obsession' — Watch The Trailer". Archived from the original on December 2, 2025. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
  10. ^ Aaron Couch, "Curry Barker to Direct, Star in ‘Anything But Ghosts’ for Jason Blum, Roy Lee" Archived September 5, 2025, at the Wayback Machine. The Hollywood Reporter, September 3, 2025.
  11. ^ "Anything But Ghosts; Motion picture". U.S. Copyright Office. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
  12. ^ "'Obsession' Filmmaker Curry Barker to Direct 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' Reimagining at A24 (EXCLUSIVE)". Archived from the original on April 22, 2026. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  13. ^ "'Texas Chainsaw Massacre': 'Obsession' Filmmaker Curry Barker in Talks to Write, Direct". Archived from the original on April 22, 2026. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  14. ^ www.imdb.com https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27762863/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cst_sm. Retrieved March 25, 2026. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)