How The Simpsons Sparked Curry Barker’s Dark New Horror Obsession
Filmmaker Curry Barker crafts a psychological horror shaped by an unexpected The Simpsons influence, exploring the consequences of obsession
National, 5th May, 2026: Obsession, presented by Universal Pictures (distributed by Warner Bros. Discovery), marks a striking new chapter for filmmaker Curry Barker, centering on the quiet but powerful pull of human fixation.
With Obsession, Barker leans into a theme that feels familiar yet deeply unsettling, the idea of being consumed by a person, a thought, or a desire. It’s something most people recognise in some form, but the film pushes it further, into territory where control begins to slip and consequences take over. Here, horror isn’t just about scares; it becomes a way to explore those emotional extremes with a sense of immediacy and honesty.
The starting point for the story came from an unexpected place: an episode of The Simpsons, where a seemingly harmless wish-granting object sets off a chain of chaos. That tension between wanting something and not fully understanding the cost of it stayed with Barker, eventually shaping the film’s central idea. The interplay of desire, consequence, and loss of control runs through Obsession, grounding its psychological edge.
“Horror lets you explore extreme ideas and emotions in a way that feels honest and visceral,” says Barker. “Whether it’s obsession with a person or anything else, that idea of being completely consumed by something has always fascinated me, and horror felt like the right genre to explore that. Taking inspiration from a The Simpsons episode, that combination of obsession and a wish-based device really sparked the idea for the story.”
Built around that core, Obsession blends psychological tension with an eerie, slow-burn atmosphere. It’s less about what you see and more about what you feel as the story unfolds, drawing viewers into a space where desire turns uneasy, and eventually, dangerous.
Watch Obsession in cinemas across India from 29th May.