Shelby Oaks (2025)

​“Shelby Oaks” stars Camille Sullivan, Brendan Sexton III, Michael Beach, Robin Bartlett, Keith David, Charlie Talbert, Emily Bennett, and Sarah Durn.  Released on October 24, 2025, the film follows a woman searching for clues about her missing sister.

The film was written and directed by YouTuber and film critic Chris Stuckmann in his feature directorial debut.  Nowadays, it appears that Hollywood has grown reliant on social media to discover new talent, in front of or behind the camera.  It doesn’t matter if they’re from YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, or even Twitch.  If these social media icons bring in millions of fans, there’s usually a guarantee that they’ll get a huge break in the film industry, particularly for cameos.  This latest instance is no different, as another well-known social media personality is venturing into the horror genre, following TikTok star Kris Collins’ disastrous feature debut, “House on Eden”, just a few months ago.  That individual is YouTube film critic Chris Stuckmann, who has transitioned from creating home movies to discussing film to writing and directing his own for the big screen.  After a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign and navigating production issues, the critic’s dream of making his feature directorial debut has finally become a chilling reality.  But is it one that truly shows signs of a promising future for social media celebrities in cinema?  Let’s journey into this mysterious abandoned town and find out.

The story centers on Mia Brennan (Sullivan), whose sister Riley (Durn) is a member of a famous internet paranormal investigative team called the Paranormal Paranoids.  Mia learns that Riley has mysteriously vanished while investigating the uninhabited town of Shelby Oaks.  After reviewing the last of Riley’s tapes, Mia begins to suspect that her sister’s disappearance is linked to a resident in Shelby Oaks, motivating her to conduct her own investigation.  Upon arriving in the town, Mia starts to uncover petrifying clues that hint at a far more demonic reality than she initially comprehended.

I’ve been a devoted fan of Chris Stuckmann on YouTube for as long as I can remember.  It’s not just his passion for film and mature demeanor that draws me in.  He also motivated me to share my own film reviews.  You could say he’s played a significant role in my personal journey of discussing movies.  Sure, he now primarily focuses on reviewing films he likes, but his grounded, approachable vibe in his discussions continues to make him my go-to critic on the subject.  In the current landscape where many film reviewers rely heavily on negativity and rants for clicks and likes, Stuckmann stands out as a critic who understands the value of reviewing movies, even if his recent ones are only for those he appreciates.  When I learned that he was working on “Shelby Oaks” as his directorial debut, my curiosity was instantly piqued about whether his film knowledge and love for horror could translate into a feature film.  After four years of dedication to bringing his dream project to the big screen, one can’t help but wonder whether the wait is worth it —not just for his fans but also for horror enthusiasts.

After experiencing the film firsthand, I can conclude that this might be one of my biggest head-scratchers I’ve ever encountered.  I don’t mean that as a bad thing since it’s well-intended in its craft and captivating atmosphere.  What I mean is that the film may have been overreaching in its influential storytelling and subversive expectations.  You know when you’re eagerly anticipating a dish at your favorite restaurant based on word-of-mouth, only to find the taste surprisingly underwhelming?  That’s essentially “Shelby Oaks” in a nutshell.  The movie began on a promising note regarding its first half, adopting a mockumentary style following events reminiscent of “The Blair Witch Project”, which gradually evolves into a chilling horror mystery.  Unfortunately, as the film transitions into its second half, it immediately stumbles out of the gate.  It offered a slew of familiar narrative beats that lack substantial payoff, ultimately limping to the finish line without much fanfare.

It’s easy to see that Stuckmann has been taking notes on approaching the horror genre when helming “Shelby Oaks”, drawing on his background in film criticism and his experience with horror.  This is particularly noticeable in the movie’s first half, where the film takes an intriguing approach to its “found-footage” style.  Although not strictly a “found-footage” film, there is a sequence in which Mia watches the tape on a traditional TV, opting to film the TV screen showing the tape rather than switch to the “found-footage” format.  I know that doesn’t sound too exciting, but I thought it would be interesting to point out, given the number of found-footage horror movies we've gotten.  Another element I admired regarding Stuckmann’s direction is his understanding that the frights stem from more than just cheap jump scares and excessive gore.  It’s also the eerie atmosphere that makes things go bump in the night.  There were some moments involving jump scares and gore, but they’re minuscule enough to make room for the chilling aura surrounding its grim and tense mystery.  Sometimes, less is more if you want to evoke some genuine terror.  It also helped that some of the jump scares worked well, though not enough to max out its petrify meter.  

The movie also exhibits an amateurish style that might feel reminiscent of a fan film you would find on YouTube.  Given his experience with making home movies and a very low budget, this approach may seem somewhat fitting for his style.  However, despite the home-movie aesthetic, there is a notable effort to make the presentation worthy of the big-screen treatment.  Although not the most visually stunning horror film I’ve seen this year, its scope gives the impression of being more expansive than other low-budget horror movies.  Even the visuals looked pretty decent, with the practical effects enhancing the mildly grotesque imagery and a specific element I won’t spoil in case you want to check it out yourself.  So, you could say I was pleased with Chris Stuckmann’s approach in filmmaking, not just in its appealing traditional style but also his knack for cultivating atmospheric discomfort.  

However, there was this one issue that might have held him back from greatness, and that’s his screenplay.  Given his apparent love for horror, you can see that Stuckmann has taken plenty of influences from specific horror classics, notably “The Blair Witch Project” and “Rosemary’s Baby”.  It’s sort of like his own answer to those masterpieces, though not in a way that allows him to carve out his own cinematic identity.  Stuckmann’s screenplay introduces plenty of interesting elements that could’ve added ambitious depth in its themes, especially in the first half.  One of which is Mia’s sisterhood with Riley, which was influenced by Stuckmann’s personal upbringing with his sister.  Sadly, it blindly follows the same well-trodden paths of other horror films, leading to a subpar second half and a surprisingly underwhelming payoff that’s as frustrating as watching a fake paranormal investigation stunt on YouTube.  I wouldn’t say that the ending was as horrendous as the one in “The Turning”.  Instead, it’s one of the conclusions that left me saying, “Oh…okay”, while walking out of the theater feeling perplexed.  Admittedly, I was expecting something more exciting from its buildup, and I’m assuming I wasn’t the only one who thought it that way.  There’s some ambition lurking around in Stuckmann’s script, but sometimes, that ambition doesn’t always work if it doesn’t have something that warrants it, including a satisfying resolution.

On a positive note, Stuckmann assembled a pretty impressive cast for “Shelby Oaks”.  He even got the esteemed Keith David to star in his film, even if it’s just for one scene!  That’s how you know how dedicated he is to realizing his vision.  Regarding their performances, the only standouts were the actresses playing the Brennan sisters.  “Shelby Oaks” was my first encounter with Camille Sullivan, who has starred in multiple shows and movies I hadn’t watched or heard of beforehand.  That may change after watching her nuanced performance as Mia.  Sullivan is another actress who conveys a character’s subtle terror through her facial expressions rather than phoning it in, making Mia a tolerable protagonist to solve the mystery with.  Her portrayal solidifies Mia’s eagerness to rescue Riley and even her alarming state upon uncovering startling truths surrounding the incident.  Sarah Durn reprised her role as Riley from the marketing campaign on which the film is based.  Like Sullivan, Durn effectively portrayed the terror and dread of Riley’s personality through her compelling performance, which helps make her found-footage videos more believable than anyone assumed.  Robin Bartlett also delivered a solid yet creepy performance as Norma Miles, a resident in Shelby Oaks.

Overall, “Shelby Oaks” is steeped in an atmosphere of dread within its chilling mystery, but its flawed storytelling turns this paranormal investigation into more of a publicity stunt than the real deal.  Chris Stuckmann clearly shows potential in his filmmaking capabilities, particularly in the first half.  Unfortunately, his creative vision was bogged down by his own narrative choices, which relied heavily on familiar genre tropes and lacked a satisfying payoff.  The result is a well-meaning passion project that exudes a chilling essence but lacks the convincing impact needed to captivate many hardcore horror fans.  Camille Sullivan and Sarah Durn were both great as the Brennan sisters, and Stuckmann’s direction successfully creates a solid atmosphere of suspense and fright.  Sadly, the online film critic’s directorial debut wasn’t able to make this latest investigation worthwhile due to his trope-laden screenplay and weak second half.  However, I will give him this.  At least his debut wasn’t as bad as Kris Collins’ “House on Eden”.  But on a serious note, regardless of what I thought of the film, I’m still proud of Stuckmann for making his dream project a reality through hard work and dedication, despite the challenges thrown his way.  If he wants to continue his journey as a filmmaker, I hope he sees this movie as an opportunity to broaden his creativity while addressing the shortcomings that have held him back.  If he takes this to heart, I believe he has a shot at becoming another remarkable director worth watching, particularly in the horror genre.

C