Curry Barker, Director of 'Obsession,' Drops New Horror Short 'Mama Bear' on YouTube

Curry Barker, the filmmaker behind the indie horror hit Obsession, has released a new horror short titled Mama Bear — and it's available to stream on YouTube right now.

A Follow-Up to an Indie Breakout

Barker first drew widespread attention with Obsession, a low-budget indie horror feature that became a word-of-mouth success and established him as one of the most closely watched emerging voices in the genre. Since then, horror fans have been eager to see what he would do next.

Mama Bear answers that question with a return to the short-form format that helped Barker build his early audience. The release continues a trend that has defined indie horror in the mid-2020s: filmmakers using YouTube and social platforms to reach viewers directly, bypassing traditional distribution and building momentum for larger projects.

Where to Watch

Mama Bear is streaming free on YouTube. As with Barker's previous work, the short is expected to generate discussion among horror communities online — particularly given the appetite for grassroots genre filmmaking heading into 2026.

Why It Matters

Barker's path — from short-form YouTube horror to a breakout feature — reflects a broader shift in how independent filmmakers find audiences. For fans of Obsession, Mama Bear offers an early look at the director's evolving style; for newcomers, it's a low-commitment entry point into his work.

This article was originally reported by Jay Peters.

via The Verge