A decade after carving out his voice as one of YouTube’s most respected film commentators, Chris Stuckmann steps behind the camera for his feature debut, Shelby Oaks — a satisfyingly sinister supernatural mystery that feels both reverent and refreshingly original.
Stuckmann, who writes and directs, takes on one of horror’s most polarising yet enduring formats — found footage — and fuses it with a more traditional cinematic grammar to produce an elegantly orchestrated hybrid. The result conjures the grimy, cold-sweat realism of Lake Mungo and The Poughkeepsie Tapes, while tracing the investigative dread of Ringu (or The Ring, depending on your allegiance). Occasionally, I felt as though Stuckmann was subtly flirting with self-awareness — a nod to Wes Craven’s New Nightmare or Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon — yet the film remains mercifully stripped of irony. It’s deadly serious about the scares, but acutely aware of its own structural legerdemain.
The film first recounts how, twelve years ago, a group of paranormal investigators known as the “Paranormal Paranoids” mysteriously vanished. Now, Mia Brennan (Camille Sullivan — Hunter Hunter, The Unseen) starts investigating her missing sister Riley, the group’s lead investigator, after a deeply unsettling visit to her doorstep. Long-buried childhood fears quickly resurface, pulling Mia into a sinister rabbit hole that gradually reveals the truth behind her sister’s disappearance and the fate of the “Paranormal Paranoids.”
Despite juggling multiple formats — from grainy home video and the “Paranormal Paranoids” found-footage tapes to faux-documentary segments and full-fledged cinematic sequences — Shelby Oaks remains satisfyingly cohesive. Stuckmann’s encyclopedic knowledge of genre filmmaking pays off in spades, ensuring that each visual format feels both authentic and, more importantly, purposeful rather than gimmicky. The performances adapt seamlessly to these shifting modes, too, with Sullivan anchoring the film through an emotionally varied and technically demanding role. Her ability to stay grounded across this stylistic spectrum gives the story its palpitating pulse.
At certain moments, Stuckmann also deliberately keeps the horrors just out of frame, forcing the audience to inhabit Mia’s terror. The camera lingers on her visceral expressions of dread and revulsion, and it’s through these reactions that we imagine the worst possible horrors — a technique that’s as simple as it is brilliantly effective. But pulling it off so disturbingly well is no small feat, and Sullivan’s mesmerising performance ensures these sequences are among the film’s most anxiety-inducing and unforgettable.
That said, while the film’s first three-quarters drips with creeping, authentic dread, it later drifts into somewhat more familiar genre beats. For a filmmaker so steeped in horror lore, this is hardly surprising. Still, Stuckmann handles these sequences with the same care and energy as the rest of the film, and Sullivan’s committed performance ensures the suspense and intrigue hold firm through to the very end.
A strong supporting cast, including Brendan Sexton III, Michael Beach, Robin Bartlett, Keith David, Emily Bennett, and Derek Mears, adds texture without breaking the film’s carefully cultivated realism. Even with a few recognisable faces, Shelby Oaks retains that all-important sense of believability that keeps its scares effective.
Behind the camera, Stuckmann also had the support of horror heavyweight Mike Flanagan, who came on board as executive producer, whose words of support really ring true:
“There was so much about Chris’ experience and story that reminded me of what I went through on my first film, Absentia. He’s on a really exciting path.”
Based on this debut, it’s hard to disagree. Shelby Oaks is an impressive first feature — ambitious, unnerving, and made with a genuine love for the genre. If Stuckmann continues to grow as confidently as he’s begun, his next project could easily stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the work of his producer and mentor.
VERDICT:
Shelby Oaks opens in U.S. cinemas via Neon on October 24, 2025 and in UK and Irish Cinemas via Altitude Films on October 29.
