Curry Barker, the filmmaker behind the horror hit Obsession, is returning to his YouTube roots with a new horror short titled Mama Bear, arriving just ahead of Halloween in collaboration with Microsoft Windows.
Written, directed and edited by Barker, the short is set to premiere for free on his YouTube channel, That’s a Bad Idea, which he runs with longtime creative collaborator Cooper Tomlinson. The release is scheduled for October 29, 2026, at 11.30am Eastern Time.
The project reunites Barker with Obsession production designer Vivian Gray and features Jon Lee Richardson as Floyd, Katie Sarife as Lacey, Ericka Kreuz as Ms Wilson and Joshua Snyder as Floyd’s doppelgänger.
Details about the plot were initially kept under wraps ahead of the premiere, with the title and cast offering few clues about the story. However, the short’s release continues Barker’s interest in horror projects that build suspense around unsettling situations.
The collaboration with Windows also gives the short a branded entertainment component, bringing a major technology company into a project from a filmmaker whose career began with online videos and independent horror productions.
Barker first gained attention through YouTube horror shorts, including The Chair, before making the found-footage feature Milk & Serial, which he released for free online in 2024. His work on the platform helped establish an audience before his move into studio filmmaking.
His career reached a new level with Obsession, a horror film released by Focus Features in May 2026. The movie became a major box-office success, earning more than $500 million worldwide despite its reported production budget of less than $1 million.
The success has led to several new projects for Barker. He is directing Anything But Ghosts, a horror-comedy starring himself and Tomlinson, which is scheduled to reach cinemas on May 7, 2027. He has also been attached to a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre film.
With Mama Bear, Barker is returning to the platform that helped launch his career while continuing to expand his work beyond short-form online horror.
The new short arrives during one of the busiest periods of the year for horror releases, giving fans another project from the filmmaker before Halloween.
