‘Obsession’ Director Curry Barker Breaks Silence on Crew Member’s Viral Pay Complaint
Few indie horror stories have generated the kind of industry-wide buzz that surrounded ‘Obsession’, the micro-budget debut that placed YouTube filmmaker Curry Barker squarely on Hollywood’s radar. After his found footage short ‘Milk & Serial’ went viral on YouTube, Barker signed with UTA in early 2025, making his leap from DIY horror to the studio system official. His feature debut became the kind of word-of-mouth phenomenon that the industry talks about for years.
‘Obsession’ premiered in the midnights section of the Toronto International Film Festival and was subsequently acquired by Focus Features for a reported $14 million. The film follows Bear, a lonely music store employee who makes a supernatural wish for his crush to fall in love with him, unleashing horrifying consequences, and it has since earned over $286 million globally.
The celebration surrounding that success took a complicated turn when art director Sally Choi went public with a detailed Instagram post revealing she earned $300 per day on the production, which amounted to $6,741.36 after taxes, with no mileage reimbursement. Choi said she had been holding back her frustrations for almost two years before finally deciding to speak out, and expressed regret that she had not pushed back harder before accepting the job.
She noted that the low-budget nature of the production meant crew members were required to wear many hats, and in addition to her credited role she also served as a PA, set dresser, graphic designer, and background actor. Choi also mentioned that some crew members worked on the project as volunteers, compensated only for gas and mileage, and that even those payments were not always delivered on time.
Barker has since addressed the situation directly. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he praised Choi and the full art department, saying the work they did was extraordinary and that everyone involved deserved to be recognized. He also acknowledged the financial structure of low-budget filmmaking, explaining that the people who tend to benefit directly from a film’s commercial success are typically those who took on some form of financial risk during production. He added that his hope is for every crew member who worked hard on ‘Obsession’ to see those efforts translate into career opportunities that prove financially rewarding, much as the film’s success has done for him.
Online reactions have been deeply divided, with many filmmakers sharing their own experiences of unpredictable income and difficult conditions, while others suggested Choi was damaging her own career by speaking out publicly about a rate she had agreed to in advance. Choi later doubled down rather than walking anything back, framing the conversation as one that goes far beyond her individual story and extends to below-the-line workers across the entire industry.
As Hollywood continues to recover from the combined effects of COVID-19 and successive labor strikes, the ‘Obsession’ controversy has reignited a long-running debate about whether crew members should share in the financial upside when a micro-budget production becomes a global hit.
Whether Barker’s measured response draws a line under this moment or simply adds fuel to a much larger fire is something worth weighing in on, so tell us whether you think indie filmmakers have an obligation to their crews when the numbers get this big.
