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We still have to wait until May 2027 for Curry Barker’s “Anything But Ghosts” to hit theaters, but fans of the “Obsession” writer/director have a new project to tide them over.
Barker has written, directed and edited a new short film titled “Mama Bear” that was released on the YouTube channel That’s a Bad Idea on Thursday morning. In the five-minute project, which was supported by Microsoft, Jon Lee Richardson appears as Floyd, a young man whose disturbing phone calls quickly change the course of his day. Katie Sarife, Ericka Kreuz, and Joshua Snyder co-star. Check out the movie below.
Barker continues to enjoy one of the biggest years we’ve seen from a filmmaker in recent memory. After “Obsession” was acquired by Focus Features at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, it went on to gross more than $500 million at the global box office this spring. Barker quickly became one of Hollywood’s most sought-after filmmakers, mounting a string of projects that include a “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” reboot for A24 and a secret original horror film that landed him an eight-figure deal from Universal. And Barker had already finished “Anything But Ghosts,” a supernatural comedy that sees him co-star with longtime film partner Cooper Tomlinson, before “Obsession” even opened.
As a result Barker received the first IndieWire Future of Filmmaking award at our recent summit in Los Angeles. In a chat with IndieWire’s Chris O’Falt at the event, Barker talked about his roots making independent short films and how it helped refine his voice ahead of “Obsession.”
“I definitely learned a lot from the comments section,” Barker said of his experience posting his sketches on the That’s a Bad Idea channel. “I think the main thing I would take away is how subtle the audience is. I think if I hadn’t learned that early on, I might have written my dialogue differently. I might have written more explanation, I might not have felt as confident that people understood me. That was invaluable, ‘Oh my god, this little thing, they pick up on it! They understand these nuances.’
