Milk and Serial
Written and Directed by Curry Barker
Starring Curry Barker, Cooper Tomlinson, Adlih Torres
Unrated
Runtine: 62 mins
Available on YouTube

by Avery Coffey, Staff Writer 

I remember the internet going up in a storm over one Youtuber’s prank that too hard of a left turn. A popular content duo, Sam and Colby, were at the center of it after one of them agreed to help in a prank against his counterpart. After being kidnapped and taken to the rooftop of a building, Sam Golbach is convinced that his friend has been murdered right in front of him. Despite Sam moving on and raving about the prank, fans couldn’t forget the look of absolute terror and distress on Sam’s face. As the credits rolled on the found-footage film Milk & Serial, I immediately time-hopped to 2015. 

It’s a niche sub-genre, but prank thrillers exist. Or maybe it’s better to call it… YouTube thrillers? They have an electric energy about them- both by style and tone- and usually center male protagonists. The last one I watched was Spree (dir. Eugene Kotlyareno, 2020) starring Joe Keery, about a rideshare driver hungry for a viral following and willing to shed blood for it. The ultimate question: what are you willing to put on the line for our desires? 

It’s hyper-grounded in reality just like Milk & Serial. However, it tells the story of a YouTube prank duo caught in a cycle of one-upping each other’s stunt. It’s at a surprise birthday party that a curve ball is through right at us. Classmates-turned-film duo that’s a bad idea, composed of Curry Barker and Cooper Tomlinson, made a breakout horror film that challenges Hollywood’s efforts on an $800 budget. 

The film's chilling moments come across so naturally! The art of found footage flicks is all about the camera angles and who's holding it. They totally fooled us into thinking we were just watching one person's view the whole time. Tomlinson and Barker nailed that YouTube vlog vibe while tag-teaming the camera work. Every single actor, including our dynamic duo Tomlinson and Barker, brings their A-game, making the story come alive in ways you wouldn't believe. It's like watching your friends on screen, but with an exciting, spooky twist!

This approach to casting and character development, combined with the found footage style, creates a viewing experience that blurs the lines between fiction and reality. The result is a horror film that doesn't rely on jump scares or gore, but instead builds tension through its authentic presentation and the audience's growing emotional connection to the characters. It's a testament to the filmmakers' skill that they can evoke such a strong response with seemingly simple techniques, proving that sometimes the most effective horrors are those that feel the most real.

Is this a safe space to admit that I get bored with new horror sometimes? Recently, it feels like I’m doom-scrolling all of my streaming services in order to find a movie that intrigues me. I’ll turn to YouTube short films in desperate times of need: when I really just want something fresh. Sometimes, it’s more rewarding to watch five original shorts compared to a two-hour regurgitation of tropes and cliches. The horror community, though, shows so much support for its independent filmmakers. Now, with the disappointment of remakes and reboots, horror fans crave a movie that they can’t predict or compare. Curry Barker and Cooper Tomlinson have provided the proof and Hollywood has noticed. There are indie filmmakers, of all genres, self-distributing their work simply to have eyes on it. As the industry rushes to invest in a project that’s already proven its success, what about those who haven’t had that same path? Those that are just as solid as Milk & Serial without the virality: is Hollywood able to take that risk?