Curry Barker is returning to his YouTube roots with Mama Bear, a new horror short the Obsession filmmaker released Thursday, just in time for Halloween.
Sponsored by Windows, the five-minute film was written, directed and edited by Barker and released on the That’s a Bad Idea YouTube channel, the sketch comedy series he co-runs with creative partner Cooper Tomlinson. The short follows Jon Lee Richardson as Floyd, a young man whose nap is interrupted by disturbing phone calls that quickly turn his day into a nightmare. Things take an unsettling turn when Floyd discovers he isn’t the only version of himself.
The cast also includes Katie Sarife as Lacey, Ericka Kreuz as Ms. Wilson and Joshua Snyder as Floyd’s doppelgänger.
Sarife will also appear in Medium Rare, an upcoming horror short from Barker’s father, Jeff Barker, which The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reported was in the works.
The short’s eerie atmosphere and unsettling visuals echo Obsession, particularly a shot of a figure lurking in a dark corner. The moment recalls a scene in the feature film in which Nikki (Inde Navarrette) watches Bear (Michael Johnston) sleep from a similarly shadowy corner.
And in signature Barker fashion, Mama Bear ends on a tragic note. (Spoiler alert!) Lacey shoots and kills Floyd, before the short reveals the existence of his doppelgänger.
Mama Bear also reunites Barker with members of his Obsession crew, including production designer Vivian Gray and costume designer Blair James.
Speaking with THR on Thursday shortly after the short’s release, James revealed that the production came together quickly.
“We shot this three and a half weeks ago; it was a really quick turnaround,” she said.
James, who also worked with Barker on Obsession, spoke of collaborating with the filmmaker and appreciating the trust he places in her work.
“I always love getting to work with Curry, and it’s really such a gift to get to work with him as a stylist and a costume designer. He really trusts me a lot, which really makes the experience so special,” James said.
The release also marks a return to the format that helped establish Barker as a filmmaker: creating and sharing his work on YouTube. Before Obsession became a box-office hit, Barker released projects including Heavy Eyes, Enigma, Warnings, The Chair and Milk & Serial on the platform.
In fact, it was Barker’s 2023 short film The Chair that caught the attention of producer James Harris of Tea Shop Productions, helping set the stage for the filmmaker’s transition to feature films.
For James, moving between shorts and features is part of what makes her work exciting. She said she enjoys the variety of projects, from quick styling jobs to the longer process of making a feature film.
“I put everything I have into everything I do. So to me, it’s fun when it’s different every time. I feel like if I just did features back to back to back, it would start to feel repetitive,” she said. “Which is what I really love about doing styling and costume designing is getting to do new things all the time. I love a short film. I love to give my all for two weeks and then it’s done. It’s a rush. Then I love also the process of a long feature or just a quick styling job.”
Barker’s return to short-form horror comes as he continues to build on the success of Obsession. The film, which follows Bear as he uses a novelty item called the One Wish Willow to make his crush, Nikki, love him more than anyone in the world, spirals into a terrifying sequence of events.
Released May 15, Obsession was made on a reported $750,000 budget and has grossed more than $500 million worldwide. The film is also gearing up for awards season, earning a nomination for the Gotham Audience Award earlier this week.
Barker’s next feature, Anything But Ghosts, is slated to hit theaters May 7, 2027, from Blumhouse-Atomic Monster and Spooky Pictures. Barker is directing, editing and co-writing the film, and will star alongside Tomlinson, who also co-wrote the project. Barker is also attached to write and direct a reimagining of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Watch Mama Bear below — a pre-Halloween treat from Barker.
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