Background and career
Curry Barker (born September 22, 1999) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, and YouTuber. He is known for creating and starring on the sketch comedy YouTube channel "that's a bad idea" with his creative partner Cooper Tomlinson. Barker directed, wrote, and acted in the horror films Milk & Serial (2024), Obsession (2025), and Anything but Ghosts (2027). His film Obsession grossed over $522 million worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing independent films of all time.
Barker was born on September 22, 1999, 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. 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.
Aspiring to be an actor, Barker left home at age 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". 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. Barker had occasional acting roles in other productions, including guest appearances in television series Dave and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia in 2023. Barker spent several years on various short films. In 2023, Barker wrote and directed the horror short film The Chair and uploaded it to YouTube, where it was watched more than 10 million times. Film producer James Harris of Tea Shop Productions contacted Barker, suggesting he adapt it into a feature. Barker refused, and instead pitched Harris the story that would become Obsession (2025). The following year, Barker directed and released Milk & Serial (2024), a found footage horror film made with about $800. After spending a year trying to get distribution, Barker ultimately decided to release the full film on YouTube. The film went viral, leading to a representation deal with United Talent Agency in early 2025.
On September 3, 2025, in advance of Obsession's Toronto International Film Festival (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. The film is set to be released by Focus Features on May 7, 2027. Made on a $750,000 budget, Obsession became a worldwide sensation, grossing over $500 million globally. TheWrap compared Barker and Kane Parsons (whose Backrooms (2026) was simultaneously very successful) to Swedish filmmaker David F. Sandberg. All three began by creating YouTube videos before directing Hollywood feature films. In April 2026, it was announced that Barker would be writing and directing a reboot of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre with A24. 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. In September 2026, Barker was named on the TIME100 Next 2026: The World's Most Influential Rising Stars list.
