We’re just a few weeks away from the theatrical release of one of the best horror films in recent memory — Curry Barker’s Obsession. I caught it at SXSW and had a blast (read my review), and clearly Focus has their eye on Barker becoming the next big name in horror, with them snapping up his already-shot follow-up. The film, Anything but Ghosts, stars former Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul and just wrapped shooting in Vancouver. Barker not only co-wrote (with Cooper Tomlinson), but also directs and co-stars in the movie.
Before helming Obsession, Barker, who is only twenty-five, wrote, directed, and starred in the film Milk & Serial, which cost a king’s ransom of $800 to make and has been viewed over 2 million times on YouTube. It put him on the map in a big way, but Obsession kicked things up another huge notch when it was acquired by Focus for $15 million, with it being one of the biggest acquisition deals at last year’s TIFF.
Anything but Ghosts counts Jason Blum, James Wan, and Anna Kendrick among its producers. Of course, the other big news recently for Barker is that A24 has signed him to helm their new Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie. Heady days for Mr. Barker, but I have to say, Obsession really lives up to the hype. It’s arguably the best horror debut I’ve seen since Ari Aster made the leap with Hereditary, and it not only manages to be scary, but also has a sharp sense of humor and a story that will stick with you long after the credits roll. In Obsession, a young man with a monster crush on his best friend finds a “one wish willow” that promises to grant a wish. He wishes that the object of his crush would love him more than anyone else in the world. Suffice it to say, his wish comes true — but it turns out to be nothing short of a nightmare for all involved.
Obsession hits theaters on May 15th.
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