Curry Barker, the filmmaker behind the horror hit Obsession, has returned to YouTube with a new five-minute horror short titled Mama Bear, premiering on October 29 on the That’s A Bad Idea YouTube channel.
As Pajiba reported, the project brings Barker back to the platform just in time for Halloween, offering a five-minute story about a young man dealing with disturbing phone calls and an unexpected doppelganger.
The Bottom Line
- Curry Barker released his new five-minute horror short, Mama Bear, on the That’s A Bad Idea YouTube channel on October 29.
- The short stars Jon Lee Richardson as Floyd, Joshua Snyder as his doppelganger, Katie Sarife as Lacey, and Ericka Kreuz as Ms. Wilson, with Windows sponsoring the project.
- The release comes ahead of Barker’s next feature film, Anything But Ghosts, scheduled for release by Focus Features on May 7, 2027.
From Eight Hundred Dollars to a Box Office Hit
Barker built his career on independent YouTube releases before breaking into major theatrical distribution. His earlier zero-budget found-footage feature, Milk & Serial, went a year without a distributor before Barker released it for free in August 2024 on That’s A Bad Idea, the sketch channel he created with Cooper Tomlinson, as noted by ihorror.com. That viral success followed his 2023 short The Chair, which surpassed 10 million views and caught the attention of producer James Harris.
Curry Barker's signature shot:🎬 Mama Bear (2026)🎬 Obsession (2026)Curry Barker's latest 5-minute short film Mama Bear is now available on YouTube, written, directed and edited by Barker himself. The short stars Jon Lee Richardson, Katie Sarife, Ericka Kreuz and Joshua… pic.twitter.com/K1EyvvLPSp
Harris asked Barker to expand the short into a feature, which became Obsession. The feature film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025 and opened in U.S. theaters through Focus Features on May 15, 2026. Made for a modest budget of $750,000, the film went on to gross over $500 million, making it a standout financial success for independent horror.
Production Details and Quick Turnaround for Mama Bear
Sponsored by Windows, Mama Bear was written, directed, and edited by Barker. The short features Jon Lee Richardson playing Floyd, Katie Sarife playing Lacey, Ericka Kreuz playing Ms. Wilson, and Joshua Snyder billing as Floyd’s doppelganger, according to ihorror.com. Yardbarker noted that Barker reunited with Obsession production designer Vivian Gray and costume designer Blair James for the short.
James revealed that the project was shot three and a half weeks prior to its late October premiere, allowing for an exceptionally quick post-production turnaround. James praised Barker’s collaborative approach, stating that he grants his crew significant creative trust.
| Project Title | Release Platform / Venue | Release Date | Production Budget / Gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milk & Serial | YouTube (That’s A Bad Idea) | August 2024 | $800 budget |
| Obsession | Theaters (Focus Features) | May 15, 2026 | $750,000 budget / $500M+ gross |
| Mama Bear | YouTube (That’s A Bad Idea) | October 29, 2026 | Sponsored short film |
| Anything But Ghosts | Theaters (Focus Features) | May 7, 2027 | Upcoming feature |
Streaming Debuts and Upcoming Feature Projects
Following its theatrical run, Obsession is scheduled to arrive on Netflix in the United States on November 17, expanding its reach from the box office to home streaming audiences. Meanwhile, Barker is already looking ahead to his next major cinematic releases.
His third feature film, Anything But Ghosts, is slated for release by Focus Features on May 7, 2027. Co-written by Barker and Tomlinson, the horror-comedy follows two con artists pretending to be ghost hunters who encounter a dark entity. The cast includes Aaron Paul, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Violet McGraw, alongside Barker and Tomlinson. In addition to his original features, Barker is attached to write and direct a reimagined Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie for A24.
