Filmmaker and comedian Kari Barker is the creator of Milk & Serial, a 62-minute feature horror film about a popular social media duo who suffer dire consequences after a surprise birthday party goes wrong.
Filmed for just $800, the film stars its director, Kari BarkerWith his comic partner, Cooper Tomlinson, who is also the producer of the film, which is causing an internet sensation.
And yet, before that, Barker and Tomlinson were primarily known for their sketches posted on their TikTok and YouTube channels.This is a bad idea”, in addition to several other projects such as Barker’s 2023 viral horror short, Chairmanwhich has been viewed more than 5.5 million times online.
After discussing working with the distributor Milk and TV series, Kari Barker We finally decided to put the full movie on YouTube on August 8th: it’s all free for their fans. It has since been viewed more than 476,000 times (as of September 1) and has sparked numerous discussions on platforms such as Reddit, YouTube and #HorrorTok.
“There were tons of comments for The Chair like, “Hollywood should give this guy a budget.”,” Barker explained (via Variety ). “But when you release a feature film, it gives me a different feeling that I didn’t expect. People who review feature films for a living will review this film in a way they wouldn’t for a short film. But suddenly you see videos talking about both aliens: Romulus and Milk & Serial.“
How was the project born?
Kari Barkerwho, in addition to directing and acting in the film, also served as a writer, producer, editor, co-operator and composer, got the idea for his project while working on the set.
“I wrote a comedy scene, a cowboy scene. I wrote all these different scenes, and I wrote the serial killer scene because I thought I could capture this creepy serial killer vibe. This guy tells this girl, “It’s not a joke” and that he’s going to kill her at the end of the night. It was just for my trailer, but I thought, “Wow, I could make a whole found footage thing out of this.” Cooper was in Tennessee filming, but I said to him, “Dude, when you get back, we’re going to do it.”“
From there, the duo embarked on a 4-month shoot with friends playing other roles and working weekends, depending on everyone’s availability. Most of the $800 budget went to an actor who wasn’t part of their social group, Jonathon Cripple, who also appeared Chairmanand to buy a Sony video camera with which they shot the film. Fortunately, Barker made a $100 profit on the camera when it was shot after filming, and the duo quickly made the rest of the money through YouTube advertising, so the production quickly became profitable.
for the fans
Regarding the decision to release the film for free on YouTube, Barker admitted that he found a distributor willing to take it on before finally changing his mind.
“We just wanted the best place to cast it. It’s interesting that after we got all the paperwork and everything settled, we were like, “Damn, this distribution company is probably going to put it on the wall and somebody’s going to have to pay $2.99 to see it on Shudder or whatever.” The service that eventually runs out. I feel our fans deserve to be able to watch it. They saw the poster on my IMDb for a year and were like, “What’s that?” So even though we worked really hard for a year to get this thing distributed, we said too bad and put it on YouTube. I used to always feel that if a real movie was to be respected, it should be on Netflix, Shudder, Hulu, or whatever. But people also respect the fact that it’s free.“
This freedom of self-distribution allowed the director to change the project as he wanted – until the last moment: “This film has a one hour and 25 minute edit. Before I posted it on YouTube, I paused it for 20 minutes to make it look faster. I was always an editor and I would look at it and say, “Oh, this pace, let’s make it faster.” I think people will appreciate how fast the movie moves.“
And here are some reviews of the movie that speak volumes:
“Milk & Serial is a fun and unique found footage piece that accomplishes a lot in a shorter than average amount of time. It’s scary and charming and wastes no time in hooking you. It’s been recommended for the past few weeks and for good reason!”
“Milk & Serial” (2024, YouTube). Footage found. Two friends who own a YouTube channel play increasingly extravagant pranks to get clicks from each other…
Very well done, very low budget, impressive twists. Kari Barker as Writer/Director/Lead Actor: A+!!!“
“Milk & Serial is a disgusting horror movie. It really captures the true sense of evil energy that kept me so occupied for almost the entire hour.“
“Milk and TV series. It’s impressive what Kari Barker and her team were able to do with such a small budget. This is a new indie film with strong tension throughout its 62 minutes. It falls into the usual found footage trap, but I can’t wait to see what this group does next.“
A sequel to Milk & Serial?
Warning, the next two paragraphs of this article contain spoilers about the ending of the movie!
Those who have seen the film have asked themselves: its bloody ending suggests a sequel after an unseen character picks up the camera, could it happen? according to Kari BarkerIt is better to leave the secret to the imagination than to explain it in another chapter.
“If this thing takes off and becomes a cult classic like Blair Witch or Creep, then maybe we can move on.“, he explained. “That would be crazy. But there are no plans yet. I think it’s funny that the fact that the camera was taken away was kind of a gaslighting for the audience that watched this guy get gaslighted throughout the movie. As a writer, I have no idea who’s holding the camera. But seeing everyone in the comments speculating about who did it is so funny.“
Another crazy movie is in the works
Despite the favorable reception Milk and TV series, Kari Barker You will not rest. He is currently looking for actors for a feature film titled Obsession. James Harris, who produced horror films like Fall and 47 Meters Down, is attached to the project through his company Tea Shop Productions.
“I have never had a budget in my lifeBarker said. “I’ve been working on this script for over eight months with this production company and it’s absolutely incredible.“
While details, including the synopsis, are being kept under wraps, filming is expected to begin in late October: “It’s terrible, absolutely terrible. It’s terrifying. It will be crazy. This movie is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Very different from Milk & Serial… I’m not playing and there will be no found footage. It will be photographed more like a chair.“
In the meantime, let’s (finally) discover Milk & Serial below!
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
