From YouTube pranks to psychological horror: Curry Barker’s ‘Obsession’ rattles audiences

Los Angeles: One of this year’s most unnerving horror films comes from 26-year-old Curry Barker, a director who started with YouTube prank videos and an $800 feature released online for free.

His new film Obsession runs 109 minutes and tracks a deeply insecure man making selfish choices in spaces lit like sleep paralysis. Critics say the film stress-tests the nervous system while dissecting male emotional fixation.

Obsession opens with Bear, played by Michael Johnston, rehearsing a confession to his crush while a friend offers half-serious encouragement. Bear works at a music store with Nikki, played by Inde Navarrette, his childhood friend and the focus of his near-total emotional fixation.

Barker builds their dynamic with lived-in detail. Nikki jokes with Bear and treats him with relaxed affection reserved for someone she trusts. Bear reads each interaction as latent romantic possibility. The film examines how insecure men can turn basic warmth into evidence of hidden feelings.

The director’s shift from low-budget online content to tense psychological horror has drawn attention for its tonal control and claustrophobic atmosphere.