“Milk & Serial”
NR/Horror/Thriller/62 Mins
Directed & Written by: Curry Barker
Starring: Curry Barker (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”), Cooper Tomlinson (“Aberdeen”), Adlih Alvarado (“This is Us”), Gloria Karel (“Bitter”), Sterling L. Pope (“They’re Here”), Jonnathon Cripple (“Winning Time”), John Simmonds (“Home Run”)
Review: After being extremely sick this past weekend, everything I watched was at home from the comfort of my couch. After watching 30 minutes of an underwhelming horror film, my girlfriend suggested another horror film that was going viral on TikTok. The best part, it is FREE to stream on YouTube. This viral hit is called “Milk & Serial” and after about 5 minutes, I sat up directly in my seat and watched all 62 minutes with wide eyes in absolute silence.
“Milk & Serial” is a horror-thriller conceived by writer/director, Curry Barker, who is ½ of the internet comedy duo, “that’s a bad idea.” Alongside his best friend, Cooper Tomlinson, who co-stars with him in this feature, both are known for making comedic sketches with absurd/unpredictable humor that have reached viral heights on social media and YouTube. This isn’t their first horror project however, with “WARNINGS” & “The Chair” being other horror shorts that have received acclaim and millions of views.
The film follows two friends Milk (Barker) & Seven (Tomlinson) who have a highly successful YouTube channel centered around pranks. Hoping to make their biggest video yet, Seven plans his most ambitious prank for Milk at his birthday party. What follows is a series of dangerous and horrific events where the viewer isn’t entirely sure if what they are experiencing is a prank or the real thing. On top of that, it is also revealed (minor spoilers) that one of them may be a serial killer.
Horror and comedy are more alike than people think, both genres require the skill of timing to make the jokes/scares most effective. Like Jordan Peele from “Key & Peele” and Zach Cregger from “The Whitest Kids U’ Know”, those are two excellent examples of sketch comedians who have the skills to create terrifying horror. As evident with “Milk & Serial,” Barker and Tomlinson also excel in both genres. Since they have a real life friendship, their chemistry feels authentic and the dialogue (which seems like a mix of scripted and improv) comes across naturally. The huge standout here however, is Barker as Milk. His character comes off as awkward and unassuming but like a switch, he’s able to immediately channel a darker side that is uncomfortable yet captivating.
Something that really benefits a film with a $800 budget with a “homemade” look, is it’s shot like a video that’s going to be uploaded to YouTube. This means, quick cuts/editing, which is an editor’s dream because this gives the film a pass to jump through dialogue and not having to be so tight with scene transitions and is able to give it a brisk pace. Another thing is the ability to shoot it found footage style which doesn’t call for pristine cinematography. Not saying this film isn’t well shot, it very much is, but the “shaky cam” adds to the atmosphere and the tension.
This film is just a great example of a low budget film done right. It makes the most of its resources and works around the shortcomings that come with having a limited spending budget. By having strong naturalistic performances, an unpredictable narrative and nerve wrecking tension, this film can be just as riveting and entertaining as a big budget film that’s in the theaters. This is the type of project that someone who wants to be a filmmaker can watch and immediately want to get up from the couch and make something. Just by setting some funds aside, coming up with a story that you believe in telling, gathering your friends to help, shoot literally anywhere you can, if you have at least a phone camera, you can create art.
“Milk & Serial” is one of the best horror-thrillers you will see this year. I almost wish I saw it on a big screen but with its YouTube video format, watching it on the app almost made it ideal viewing. Definitely have Curry Barker on your radar, he has the potential to be a horror mastermind.
Score: 9/10
WATCH “MILK & SERIAL” HERE: https://youtu.be/pbzGQ1lszv4?si=fz1MjBimoETU8cwn
