The rise of YouTubers as the new masters of horror is a fascinating phenomenon that has caught Hollywood's attention and commanded it. Curry Barker, a 26-year-old director, is a prime example of this trend. With no prior Hollywood connections, Barker achieved success by leveraging his YouTube channel, 'that's a bad idea', which grew from a few hundred thousand subscribers to over 1.12 million after expanding into horror in 2023. His psychological horror short, 'The Chair', has over 9 million views and was even nominated for best film at the Los Angeles Short Film Festival. Barker's success led to deals with Focus Features and A24, and his debut feature, 'Obsession', is set to hit cinemas this week. But what makes YouTubers so appealing to Hollywood? It's not just the freedom to experiment and push boundaries, but also the logistical appeal of creating horror films, which are generally cheaper to produce and often ripe for collaboration. The analogue look of YouTuber horrors, with their low-fi or found-footage aesthetics, adds to their appeal. However, YouTubers-turned-directors face a conundrum: are they catering to their existing fans or shifting their attention to box office and mainstream crowds? Barker, for one, is focused on staying true to his roots and maintaining his unique voice. As he says, 'I'm always thinking about whether I'm sticking to my roots because I don't want to lose whatever made me special.' The rise of YouTubers in horror is a testament to the power of online platforms and the potential for emerging creative minds to make it big in Hollywood. But it remains to be seen whether this trend will continue and how YouTubers will navigate the challenges of working with major studios.
