Curry Barker Talks Obsession, Dark Humor, and Advice From Steven Spielberg – The Awards Tour Podcast
In this new episode, the director of the critically acclaimed horror movie sits down with Jacqueline Coley to talk about his first Oscars campaign.
Curry Barker didn’t expect to dominate the horror space, but after his recent film Obsession won over critics and audiences, there’s no question he’s meant to be here. The director recently sat down with Rotten Tomatoes Awards Editor Jacqueline Coley to talk about his huge wave of popularity in the horror scene, his new relationship with Steven Spielberg, his first Oscars campaign, and more.
Check out the full interview above, and we’ll see you on the next stop on the Awards Tour.
Jacqueline Coley for Rotten Tomatoes: You said that most of your ideas don’t necessarily lend themselves to horror. I’d be curious then: How did you get there with your next three films all being in the horror genre? How do you get from your initial thoughts to horror?
Curry Barker: If there was anything I was going to be famous for, it was probably going to be my sketch comedy channel with Cooper [Tomlinson], where we did comedy skits every week, and we were kind of blowing up in that space of online comedy. If you would have asked me, “How are you going to become famous? What’s going to put you on the map?” I would have probably said comedy. So, I think it was a little shocking that horror was the thing that really took off for me. But I do actually have a lot of ideas that lend themselves well to horror, and I’ve actually been a horror fan my entire life, so it’s kind of an instinct for me to go to a darker place with things. I think my comedy in general kind of leans into a darker humor anyway.
Jacqueline Coley: I know there’s been a long list of people who have raved about the film, from Steven Spielberg to every sort of A-list director and filmmaker that you could think of. Which has been the one that was either the most surprising or the most satisfying for you?
Curry Barker: Probably Stephen Spielberg, not to give the obvious answer. We’ve talked since, and we’re actually going to watch my next movie, Anything but Ghosts, together, and he’s going to give me notes and his opinion. That’s a really cool opportunity.
Obsession is currently available to stream on Peacock.
