Hot off the heels of another successful weekend at the box office, Obsession director Curry Barker has said that, if there’s anything he’s learned in the last month, it’s that “Gen Z will show up” to theaters if the films are good enough.

As audiences head to the movies in droves to check out Backrooms and Obsession, Barker has found himself caught in a wave of appreciation for low-budget horror. When asked about his takeaways on Happy, Sad, Confused, he touched on the important role Gen Z played in the movement.

“The lesson is that Gen Z will show up to an original film,” Barker explained. “Maybe that’s all that needs to be said: that we will show up to a film. I don’t think it’s about IP, necessarily. You know what? It’s not even about being original or not being original. I think we’re all really hungry for good stories, and we’re kind of – and I can only speak for myself – a little tired of films that feel rushed or overly produced.”

Barker, 26, falls firmly in the Gen Z camp. While Obsession has made waves as an original horror pic since its wide release in May, his future in Hollywood will see him trying to prove he can both continue to tell original stories and dive into franchise filmmaking.

His next film is Anything But Ghosts, another original story that stars Barker himself, Cooper Tomlinson (Obsession), Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World), and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad). Further down the road is his Texas Chainsaw Massacre project with A24.

From Barker’s point of view, moviegoers his age simply “want good stories with good characters, and even good filmmaking.” When asked about what he wishes studios understood about Gen Z audiences during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Barker offered a blunt response.

“I wish they understood that we’re tired of slop,” he said. “We want good movies back. People are still hungry for movies that are original without some big IP, as long as the story is good.”

While some viewers, regardless of age, will be there to see Anything But Ghosts or his Texas Chainsaw Massacre day one, others are hoping a proper Obsession 2 is on the way. For now, Barker has said he has “a cool idea” for a follow-up, but he’s not in any rush to make it happen. While we wait to hear more, you can read IGN’s 8/10 Obsession review.

Photo by Harold Feng/WireImage.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).