“Surprising” is the best word to describe “Shelby Oaks,” a film directed by YouTuber Chris Stuckman. Its blending of old and new media will potentially stand the test of time. The movie works, and while not horrifying, it is still a horror watch fans should go see.
Funded via Kickstarter, the movie serves as a continuation of an Alternate Reality Video series Stuckman created in 2021. In the series called Paranormal Paranoids, shot in a found footage style, we follow a group of ghost hunters who eventually go missing. Thus, the movie starts off 12 years after they disappeared in the abandoned ghost town of Shelby Oaks, Ohio, following a mockumentary style as we see Mia Brennan-Walker, played by Camille Sullivan, being interviewed about her sister Riley, played by Sarah Durn, who was the host of the show. Except for Riley, the rest of the group members were found dead shortly after they disappeared.
Before the interview ends, a man, played by Charlie Talbert, knocks on the door and shoots himself, all while holding a tape from the group’s camera. Mia watches the tape and begins investigating the man who brought it to her, leading her down a rabbit hole going back to the sisters’ childhoods.
What really makes this movie special to me is the use of alternative reality videos, a form of storytelling I have always loved. It shows that these two forms of media can be blended and, in a way, gives legitimacy to that form of art. I sincerely hope more forms of art make use of this medium.
I loved the mockumentary setup in the beginning. I felt it worked amazingly and was probably my favorite part about it. Motherhood comes up as a theme as before Riley went missing Mia and her husband were trying for a kid. While not super scary, the movie can leave you on edge and has some pretty creepy visuals at points.
As for the problems, it is fairly easy to predict the last 15 minutes, as it is rather cliche. When Mia gets the tape, she does not give it to the police, which would have probably made things easy for her. While the movie does have one core theme, it lacks any others, which definitely hurts the movie in some ways.
For a first-time director, one has to commend Stuckman for his work.
Overall, while not the best movie I have seen this year, it is my belief, and to be honest, my hope, that “Shelby Oaks” will become influential on other film makers. If you enjoy alternate reality games, this film is for you. If you are curious about the genre, I would watch this as a stepping stool. Perhaps I am clouded by my love of these kinds of stories in the way other reviewers are not, given its middling to low review. But overall, I would give “Shelby Oaks” an 8.1 out of 10.