Why Obsession Director Curry Barker Is Making Very Different Horror Movies Next [Exclusive] – SlashFilm

Curry Barker’s debut theatrical function, “Obsession,” hits theaters this weekend amidst a flurry of optimistic buzz. A majority of us right here at /Movie are in love with the film, and we’re removed from the one ones. As proof, Barker’s subsequent couple initiatives have been lined up: the unique horror comedy “Something However Ghosts,” and a function movie reboot of “The Texas Chain Noticed Bloodbath” for A24, which apparently will exist alongside the beforehand introduced TV collection from JT Mollner and Glen Powell. And in the course of the press cycle for “Obsession,” Barker has additionally expressed affection for “A Nightmare on Elm Avenue,” publicly throwing his hat within the ring to do one thing with that franchise as properly. With all this, it is clear that Barker is not planning on stepping away from the horror style any time quickly.

The query is whether or not there’s extra to that call than pure typecasting or development-following. In any case, horror motion pictures are having a second proper now, serving to bolster the field workplace and successful main awards. Additionally they appear to be catnip for a brand new era of filmmakers coming from surprising areas, whether or not it is the comedy world (as with Jordan Peele and Zach Cregger) or web fame (as with the Philippou brothers, Kane Parsons, and Barker himself). Once I had the chance to speak to Barker one-on-one not too long ago, I requested him level clean what it’s he sees within the style as an artist. The reply was not solely enlightening, it additionally indicated that Barker plans on making very completely different horror motion pictures from right here on out. He sees the style as having close to-limitless potential, and that is a top quality which he appears most eager on exploring.

“Obsession” just isn’t a frivolous horror film. In actual fact, it is chock stuffed with social commentary and addresses subjects like abuse, company, self-hurt, and extra. But Curry Barker just isn’t the kind of artist to place the cart earlier than the horse and start his movies with an inventory of themes or messages in thoughts. As he defined:

“I attempt to not write with the message in it an excessive amount of, as a result of then as a substitute of being targeted on telling a superb story, you are targeted on, ‘How can I push the message?’ […] If you happen to attempt too exhausting to return at it like, ‘Oh, in ‘Texas Chain Noticed,’ I’ll make this the message,’ the story’s going to endure.”

A method Barker seeks to keep away from letting the story endure for his subsequent movies is by pivoting to materials which has a special really feel than his earlier work. On the subject of his subsequent image, “Something However Ghosts,” Barker was adamant that your complete tone of the piece ought to be distinct from “Obsession,” but would nonetheless retain loads of what persons are loving about his work to date:

“After doing ‘Obsession,’ I shortly began writing ‘Ghosts’ with Cooper [Tomlinson] as a result of I used to be like, ‘I wish to do one thing that is so completely different than Obsession.’ […] It was so thrilling to sort out one thing that was so completely different than ‘Obsession,’ however you’ll be able to nonetheless anticipate it to have that bizarre tone, and you’ll nonetheless anticipate it to be scary. The comedy should not change the horror. So it is so completely different.”

With this, Barker seems to display a wholesome and fertile inventive outlook. He isn’t cynically chasing success or notoriety, however is trying to inform tales with depth that he is personally enthusiastic about.

What’s particularly thrilling for us horror followers, and extra particularly followers of Curry Barker’s work to date, is that he is not considering exploring just one sort of horror movie. Just like the greats earlier than him, Barker understands that the horror style has a breadth in contrast to some other style. Once I requested him what about horror evokes him, Barker defined:

“I believe that the horror style is so huge. It is nearly one of many solely genres with no guidelines. A romance has guidelines. You’ll be able to’t do that, you’ll be able to’t do this as a result of then it is a horror. You’ll be able to’t do that, you’ll be able to’t do this as a result of then it is rated R, no matter, proper? Whereas this style may very well be something. You possibly can make a pirate film that is a horror film. You possibly can make a romantic film that turns right into a horror film. You possibly can make a spy film that turns right into a horror film. That is bizarre, however you could possibly, proper? There is not any actual limits. So this style is so thrilling to me.”

Barker’s ideas on the style appear to point that he isn’t going to lazily repeat himself. Neither is he going to censor himself, both, as he identified:

“Making [Obsession] felt like a bunch of youngsters getting collectively and no grownup supervision and type of ready for somebody to be like, ‘You guys cannot do that,’ however nobody ever got here. And so we’re like, ‘I suppose we’re simply going to do it.’ […] And I’ve type of stored that mentality with the entire subsequent initiatives I am doing. I am simply going to go so far as I need, after which we’ll see.”

As you’ll be able to see, Barker makes it sound like he will be thrilling us for an extended whereas.

“Obsession” is in theaters all over the place.