Anything but Ghosts

Curry Barker and Cooper Tomlinson return to the screen with Anything but Ghosts, a supernatural horror comedy set for release on May 7, 2027. This film expands the fictional universe established in Barker's 2025 hit Obsession, blending mockumentary humor with genuine scares. The project brings together a star-studded cast including Bryce Dallas Howard, Aaron Paul, and Violet McGraw alongside the director and writer.

Produced by Blumhouse Productions and distributed by Focus Features, the movie marks a tonal shift from pure psychological thriller to a genre-bending mix of satire and dread. Barker has described the project as a collision between sketch comedy and atmospheric terror, aiming to capture the absurdity of the paranormal investigation industry while delivering visceral fear. [edit]

Two charismatic but deeply flawed con artists run a fraudulent business under the guise of professional paranormal investigators. Their target is grieving families who pay them to validate their fears of hauntings. The duo relies on cheap props like shaking tables, flickering lights, and pre-recorded electronic voice phenomena to manufacture evidence. They treat their work as performance art, maintaining a cynical detachment that highlights the absurdity of the ghost-hunting industry they have built.

The tone shifts dramatically when the pair encounters a real, malevolent entity in a remote location. Unlike previous targets who were easily manipulated by stage tricks, this new case presents a threat that cannot be faked or explained away. The entities they encounter are authentic, terrifying, and actively hostile. As the investigation deepens, the line between their manufactured deception and actual supernatural horror begins to blur. The protagonists find themselves trapped in a nightmare scenario where their usual tactics fail completely.

The central conflict arises from the collision of their fraudulent reality with a brutal supernatural truth. As the group spirals out of control, the film explores themes of guilt, exploitation, and the consequences of playing god with the dead. The supporting cast includes Aaron Paul, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Violet McGraw, who join the duo as either skeptical family members, rival investigators, or victims drawn into the chaos. The story follows their desperate struggle to survive the night, forcing the con artists to confront their own moral bankruptcy while facing a force that demands a price far higher than money.

The broad-strokes shape of the film follows a classic escalation arc typical of the genre. It begins with lighthearted, satirical scenes establishing the scam, gradually introducing subtle hints of real danger that the protagonists ignore due to their arrogance. Midway through, the facade cracks completely as the supernatural elements become undeniable and violent. The second half transforms into a high-stakes survival horror, where the characters must rely on each other and perhaps finally tell the truth to escape the entity. The film promises to deliver genuine scares alongside sharp comedy, maintaining the tension without revealing the ultimate fate of the characters until the final moments.[edit]