Obsession: Curry Barker refuses to repeat the trick
Writer-director Curry Barker told MovieMaker that Obsession was a kind of perfect storm that may never be repeatable: a film made for less than $1 million that earned more than 500 times that after its May release. Hollywood wants the formula. Barker says the only method he trusts is staying true to a voice that makes you think you know what will happen, then flipping it.
He credits shocking moments that turn viewers into advertisements for the movie, characters you could dress up as for Halloween, and a hook strong enough to travel by word of mouth. Repeating those ingredients on purpose is how a surprise becomes a mannerism.
The directing lesson underneath the success story is simple and hard: do not chase the last trick. Chase the next honest turn that still feels like you.
Go deeper on Kingdom of Dreams
- → EP 89: Dean Parisot on Galaxy Quest
- → EP 313: Dan Attias on directing The Sopranos and Alias
- → EP 210: Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti on Superboys of Malegaon
We have not sat with Curry Barker yet. Go deeper with directors who talk about voice, surprise, and making a film that could only have come from them.
Headline inspired by reporting at MovieMaker (Tim Molloy interviewing Curry Barker). Full article remains on their site; this page is our craft lens and episode guide. Read the source at MovieMaker ↗