The Wasteland Reviewer

Shelby Oaks (2025) Written Review

How exciting is it to see Chris Stuckmann making an actual film? So many YouTubers were inspired by Stuckmann’s story as he went from working on a bus to becoming one of the most successful YouTube film personalities out there. Now Stuckmann is taking the leap into his true dream…becoming a filmmaker. Stuckmann has a long history of loving horror films and that is his gateway into jumping to the big screen. Shelby Oaks is a haunting horror hybrid film that mixes a variety of horror subgenres from found footage to folk horror. But the real question is…Who Took Riley Brennan? 

Does Stuckmann and Sam Liz (his wife) offer up a compelling enough story for this first foray into cinematic horror? Riley Brennan was the host of a popular paranormal YouTube series called “Paranormal Paranoids”. But she goes missing in 2008 and the rest of her crew are found brutally murdered. This mystery is quite the compelling and engaging narrative anchor for the whole experience. Stuckmann knows how to craft and build mystery over the course of the film. There are plenty of dark and twisted turns in the narrative of the film that engage the audience. The final act of the film spirals into some wild folk horror trappings that elevate the stakes. There are some familiar tropes and elements that Stuckmann leans on to keep the narrative moving from trips to the library for some personal research. You will see plenty of familiar storytelling elements from found footage horror as well as folk horror, but Stuckmann is well versed enough to put a good spin on them. The most impressive element of this screenplay is the number of small details that are planted early that come back in logical and meaningful ways. You also have some powerful themes about motherhood that are becoming such an important piece to the narrative of the film. The final moments of the film tie this all together into such an impactful and harrowing way. 

How does Stuckmann leverage his immense film knowledge to bring this harrowing mystery to life? One of the most interesting elements of Shelby Oaks is how Stuckmann mixes presentation styles to tell this story. He leverages a variety of found footage elements from old YouTube videos (something he knows quite a bit about) to newscasts to documentary filmmaking. The whole cold open works wonders in presenting this mystery in this found footage format. Then Stuckmann and cinematographer Andrew Scott Baird deliver a crisp and haunting visual presentation for the non-found footage elements of the film. The camera moves in inspired ways and Stuckmann shows how strong of an eye for filmmaking that he has. The music from James Burkholder and The Newton Brothers does a lot of heavy lifting for the emotions of the film as well. For such a small budget film, this looks great. There are only a few set pieces that look a bit too ambitious for the budget, including a penitentiary sequence that looks a bit fake. But the horror elements of the film work so well. There are some fleeting moments of cheap jump scares but overall, Stuckmann relies on plenty of atmosphere to do the work. The scares are more effective as they deliver elements in the background that sit there and benefit those who are paying attention. The design of the demonic Incubus in the film is so unnerving and just its presence will send chills down your spine. 

Does the cast pull its weight to match Stuckmann’s passion? Camille Sullivan is the real standout of Shelby Oaks. Portraying the long-suffering sister of Riley Brennan, Camille is saddled with watching a lot of footage and being tasked with dictating a lot of emotions for the audience as well. She delivers. The emotional depth of her performance is quite impressive, and she nails it all the way up to the final frame that is both devastating and horrifying all at once. She is not in the film that much, but Sarah Durn does a fantastic job of channeling a haunting and tortured state of being for Riley. The fear and terror she must display is quite effective. There are parts in the film where Riley is a bit of a human shadow and Durn channels that well. There are a few members of the cast who feel a bit weak and unfortunately one of them weakens some significant scenes between Mia Brennan and her husband. But there are a few great appearances from character actors who bring real presence and weight. Keith David. Michael Beach. Robin Bartlett. It was great that Stuckmann could get them in the cast and bring so much with such limited screen time. 

Is Shelby Oaks the start of a promising career for Stuckmann behind the camera? Shelby Oaks is a clever, well-written, and well-directed horror hybrid with plenty of things to appreciate. There are certainly some holes thanks to its limited budget and some familiar tropes that are leaned on. When you look at the film though, you see something with plenty of passion and thought. Strong filmmaking instincts and a game cast elevate this haunting mystery in such an effective and satisfying way.