Not hugely surprising, but was decently creepy.
Mia looks for her lost sister as new evidence emerges since she disappeared near the ghost town of Shelby Oaks.
Directorial debut of writer/director Chris Stuckmann, Shelby Oaks is a horror movie starring Sarah Durn, Camille Sullivan, and Keith David (Nope). Perhaps the most interesting element of the movie is its background. Stuckmann is most well-known as a movie reviewer on YouTube. One of the most successful ones; with over two million subscribers. The film was originally funded through Kickstarter, and while it smashed its goals, Executive Producer Mike Flanagan (The Life of Chuck) also weighed in to bring Stuckmann’s vision to life. Not only did this increase the film’s budget for effects, but probably gave it the wider release it eventually received. It is quite wild to think that I am watching, on the big screen, a movie made by someone originally from YouTube.
Is it a success?
The film opens with a found footage element. We are introduced to Riley (Durn) as part of a paranormal investigation channel on YouTube, back in 2008. When their investigations lead them to the abandoned town of Shelby Oaks, all of them disappear. Eventually, the bodies of everyone but Riley are found, horribly mutilated.
With the case gone cold for over a decade, the film follows Riley’s sister Mia (Sullivan) as she receives a new clue. While it could lead to Riley’s rescue, it might doom Mia to the same fate…
It is very odd writing a review for a film created by an extremely successful movie reviewer. Because there is a degree of giving Stuckmann some leeway. Making movies must be very difficult, taxing even veterans. But on the other hand, if it is getting a wider release, it should be critiqued like any other film.
Shelby Oaks borrows from a lot of sources in terms of storytelling and direction. No doubt influences from the director’s history with movies. The found footage “pre-title” sequence is reminiscent of Blair Witch Project, the film’s fixation on abandoned places and ghost hunter footage reminds us of the self-same types of television shows through the 90s and 2000s. Even starting the film with a documentary-style hook, with plenty of references to online culture, speaks volumes for a “writing-what-you-know” ethos for Stuckmann.
For the story itself, it is familiar. Horror fans will not find anything particularly new here. Sibling looking for lost family member. Themes of ancient religions. The film doesn’t really surprise or attempt to subvert or confuse the audience. Audiences will be able to see two steps ahead of what is going on with regularity. The pacing is slow; this isn’t a scare-a-second, blood-fest movie. If you are hoping for that, you will be disappointed.
The moment-to-moment direction though is quite good, considering. The pacing is slow, but methodical. We are drenched in eerie abandoned locations regularly, both in found footage sequences and “in-camera”. There’s good atmosphere and good production value where it counts. With a smaller budget, you have to work with what you can get, and they wring out every penny from these locations. A creepy, rot-infested prisons, abandoned fairgrounds. The visuals are striking, albeit mostly static.
The performances are decent and emotive. The actors aren’t just screaming incoherently; there is a story for them to emote to. Although outside of Mia’s agency to find her sister, there isn’t much more from anyone else.
It isn’t especially creative, but it is quite well executed. There is a lingering creepiness that follows after watching it, which is more than I can say for some horror experiences this year (looking at you, Until Dawn). Horror is having a big boom right now, whether Stuckmann was fortunate or savvy in this regard is unknown, but for a first attempt he could have done much worse. Hopefully, we see more from him in the future and watch his skills develop.
