One thing that rings true about horror films is that some of the best ones are done with a low budget. A smaller budget allows the creative teams to think of innovative ways to keep the movie engaging and thrill audiences. YouTuber Chris Stuckmann understood that notion and decided to leap into filmmaking. The filmmaker has been talking about films on his YouTube channel and has now opted to put his money where his mouth is by producing, directing, and writing Shelby Oaks.
The horror film offers promising concepts and serves as a great calling card for Stuckmann. Though some of the filmmaking is impressive for a first-time director, it is bogged down with derivative ideas, predictable beats, and forgettable moments.
Shelby Oaks, directed and written by Stuckmann, follows the story of Mia Brennan, played by Camille Sullivan. Mia’s long-lost sister Riley, played by Sarah Durn, went missing with her friends during a paranormal investigation for their YouTube channel. The trail had gone cold for quite some time until a series of events occurred during the filming of a documentary on the disappearance. These events motivate Mia to find Riley and friends, leading the young woman on a supernatural path she might not escape.
That concept alone warrants viewing, and Stuckmann does his best to maintain that haunting energy through his directing.
Stuckmann takes the first act and starts laying the seeds to an intriguing lore of Shelby Oaks that will have a big part in the movie. He does this by falling back to the classic found footage method that is a reminder of 1999’s The Blair Witch Project. It’s done well in some parts, and the filmmaker makes a jolting shift in the narrative that comes off as impressive. Stuckmann continued to show promise at the beginning of Shelby Oaks by placing subtle yet terrifying hints in the background.
There are several moments where something is off-screen or just out of sight, which help elevate the horror and mystery of the film. It gave me a sense of importance to keep my eyes on the screen and see how it would all come together in Shelby Oaks. Much of it reminded me of the footage movies like The Fourth Kind, [REC], Paranormal Activity, and others that brought that genre to recognition. However, some of the eeriness of Shelby Oaks wouldn’t be so “eerie” without Stuckmann’s script.
The screenplay’s primary focus is creating a lore that Stuckmann hopes will keep the movie engaging. I’ll admit that the mystery is worth checking out, as it showcases that Stuckmann can be a competent writer. There are several moments in the film where I wanted to learn more about what Stuckmann was offering and felt that a franchise could be built on that. Many parts of Mia’s investigation provided an authentic look at demonism and cultism, helping to ramp up some underlying fear within the story.
Stuckmann gives his creation a decent amount of legroom to explore, but it all went downhill pretty fast when I realized I had seen most of this before.
The clues laid out in Shelby Oaks tell a too-familiar story, and Stuckmann’s direction becomes apparent by the second act. Many of the story beats unfold in ways that have been seen before, resulting in heavy predictability. Mia’s discoveries during the film play out in a way that made me yawn, though they might’ve been exciting if the movie had been made in the early 2000s. I found myself just waiting for the next scene to happen, hoping it would either get better or introduce a fresh idea.
Stuckmann’s directing even begins to reflect on the past too much to establish his own voice. The director starts to rely heavily on jump scares to keep the tension going in the movie. They occurred so often that I could pick them out before they happened, which made me begin to get annoyed. It results in parts of the movie becoming forgettable and even laughable. One part of Shelby Oaks that embodies unintentional humor is when a person gets mauled by a pack of dogs.
I couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous the scene played out, as it took me straight out of the movie.
I’ll give it to Chris Stuckmann for having the balls to make a horror film. The filmmaker demonstrates his ability to secure the funds and the right people to bring his vision to the big screen. Unfortunately, that vision was too influenced by previous filmmakers’ work, making Shelby Oaks tedious. I honestly want to see what Stuckmann can do when he’s given a better script or written and challenges himself. When a person like Stuckmann has a strong sense of determination in filmmaking, they’re bound for greatness.