Curry Barker isn't wasting time. Fresh off the April release of the R-rated supernatural thriller Obsession, the director is already pivoting hard. His next project, Anything But Ghosts, isn't just a follow-up; it's a genre collision. Barker is teaming up with his creative partner Cooper Tomlinson — who co-starred in Obsession as Ian — to write and star in a horror comedy that promises to lean much further into laughs than scares.
FROM WISHES TO WITNESS
Obsession arrived with a straightforward hook: break the "One Wish Willow," get the girl, pay the price. It played with classic cursed object tropes and folk horror elements, anchored by a cast including Michael Johnston (Bear) and Inde Navarrette (Nikki Freeman). The film carried the DNA of a monkey's paw story, asking what happens when a hopeless romantic gets exactly what he asked for. But if the early buzz is any indication, Barker's heart might be beating faster for comedy than pure dread.
THE BAD IDEA DUO TAKES THE WHEEL
This isn't a solo act. Barker and Tomlinson are the minds behind the internet sketch comedy duo "that's a bad idea," and they are bringing that dynamic directly to the screen. Casting themselves as the leads in Anything But Ghosts is a bold move. It signals a shift from the atmospheric tension of Obsession to something looser and potentially more chaotic. Barker's track record shows a willingness to blur lines, he directed the 2022 feature The Chair before moving into horror with Milk & Serial, but handing himself the lead reins in a comedy suggests he's betting on his chemistry with Tomlinson over traditional genre structure.
THE BLUMHOUSE GAMBIT
Obsession was backed by Tea Shop Productions, Under the Shell, Capstone Pictures, and Blumhouse Productions. That last name matters. Blumhouse has a history of betting on distinct voices, and Barker's rapid ascent from The Chair to a wide-release horror film suggests the studio sees a versatile player in the game. The question now is whether that versatility is a strength or a distraction. Can a director who just served up a story about demonic possession and sinister prices effectively pivot to yuks without breaking the tension?
THE VERDICT
Anything But Ghosts stands at a crossroads. If Barker treats the horror elements as a joke, it could alienate the audience he just won with Obsession. But if he uses the comedy to subvert expectations, much like the way he played with wish fulfillment in his last film, he could carve out a unique niche. The shift from the psychological weight of Obsession to a self-starring horror comedy is risky, but it’s exactly the kind of gamble that keeps the genre from stagnating.