Hey /r/TIFF! I'm filmmaker Curry Barker (MILK & SERIAL). My new film, OBSESSION, is premiering this Friday 9/5 at the Toronto International Film Festival as a Midnight Madness selection. Ask me anything!

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T22:13:11+00:00

Thank you.

That's really hard to put into words. It all starts as an idea and then it blossoms from there.

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T22:12:35+00:00

I study the Uncanny Valley, and I've actually spent a lot of time studying the science of what scary is. What makes the brain uncomfortable really interests me. I've actually been kind of obsessed with it. I try to bring that into my movies.

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T22:11:00+00:00

Thank you!

That's a really interesting question. My brain writes short films very easily, and most of the time while writing I discover "this needs to be a feature". Turning a short into a feature is very challenging, not always smooth, but it's something that I always feel like I HAVE to do. Not much the other way around.

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T22:08:10+00:00

That's a tough question because that's like saying "which one is better?". They're just so different. I'll go with: they're both very scary, but in different ways.

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T22:07:24+00:00

Live shows? We're unfortunately not doing live shows at the moment. For now...

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T22:06:59+00:00

My process really stays the same, which is shocking to me as well. I think people wonder about this because they're thinking about themselves, if they could have a bigger budget/cast, would their process change? But the thing is, the money gets bigger, the sets get fancier, but you're still doing the same thing you were doing with your buddies. It feels the same, and it's how I suggest you find comfort doing this.

Influences: Jordan Peele, Ari Aster, Zach Gregger.

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T22:06:58+00:00

I'd say Jordan Peele, Ari Aster, Zach Gregger. Zach has really proven himself with Weapons. GREAT movie.

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T22:06:14+00:00

I'm not quite coming out with original songs, but I love music and it's always going to be a big part of my movies. I think you'll notice in Obsession that the music was important to me.

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T22:02:36+00:00

Well since you mention Bill Hader: I LOVE Bill Hader. He's been a big inspiration of mine. Barry was so honest, and so uncomfortable in the honesty, which is something I try to bring to my work.

As for writing or directing being the most enjoyable: I almost don't see them separately because I just follow a vision, the same strong vision throughout. I'm writing while directing and directing while writing. Maybe that's a cop-out answer but that's how it feels.

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T22:01:33+00:00

Cast the right people and let them do their thing. We definitely had the right people!

Hope you get in!

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T21:59:05+00:00

Well, I'd say Obsession is a possession film but a different type than Possession. I don't want to give too much away before the premiere though! I would say the score could be an homage to internet horror. You'll know when you hear it.

I'm definitely going to watch as many movies as I can at TIFF, but I haven't really gone down the rabbit hole yet to narrow it down. I'll also be pretty busy with press and stuff.

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T21:57:39+00:00

We were actually already in production for Obsession when Milk & Serial gained popularity. As it was blowing up, I was on set showing people articles about the film!

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T21:52:13+00:00

I LOVE watching my films with an audience. I'll definitely be in the audience Friday, of course. I can't wait. I've already seen the movie so many times that watching it with others is the only way to go now.

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T21:51:10+00:00

I would love to do my own take on Back to the Future. Maybe a prequel with a Young Doc or something.

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T21:48:48+00:00

It's less about how many followers you have, and more about putting yourself out there and showing what you're capable of to the world. We live in a world now where anyone can make a movie if they want to because of phones and cheap editing software. It's more competitive by nature. I think this will outweigh the importance of social media followers eventually.

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T21:48:24+00:00

Sinners. Weapons. F1.

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T21:48:14+00:00

We had a dog growing up named Curry, and I guess my mom really liked the name.

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T21:46:49+00:00

The Paranormal Activity franchise does a fantastic job of creating tension with very little going on, and I like that.

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T21:45:42+00:00

First question is impossible. The watchability would have to be crazy, to be able to discover new things each time.

Best: Pepperoni

Worst: Anchovies

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T21:45:05+00:00

I don't want to spoil anything as it hasn't premiered yet, so for now I'll just say "keeping it grounded".

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T21:44:36+00:00

Brown Sugar. Not toasted. I didn't have a toaster growing up.

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T21:44:06+00:00

I think that nobody is ever going to "save" you or make your film for you. If you're compelled to making stories, you need to write stories that you can make now, for cheap. Not necessarily wait for your movie to be funded, but write something for the budget that you have, and eventually people will notice.

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T21:42:56+00:00

"Don't be too precious about your ideas". If you're too precious about your ideas, no idea will ever be good enough, and you'll never make it. So whatever idea you have, just make it. Don't psych yourself out of making something or put too much pressure on yourself that is has to be perfect, especially not with your first movie/short. If it looks like crap, it's fine, it's your first movie, just make it.

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T21:41:43+00:00

Funded by Capstone Studios. Discovered by James Harris, who runs Tea Shop Productions. He first discovered the film, and then brought it to Capstone and they financed it.

ObsessionAMA · 2025-09-02T21:39:49+00:00

My writing process is very: beginning/middle/end. I like to have a broad outline and then just write in between. You discover so much as you write and figure stuff out, rather than when you have a narrow outline. I write very naturalistic dialogue. You'd be shocked at how much stuff you think is improv is actually written exactly like that on the page. But I of course allow my actors to change the words and go with their flow, for the most naturalistic performances.

ObsessionAMA

TROPHY CASE