Shelby Oaks Review: A Promising Debut

Anchored by Camille Sullivan’s gripping performance, Chris Stuckmann’s Shelby Oaks blends found footage and narrative horror.

The film begins with a piece of found footage: Riley (Sarah Durn), part of a paranormal investigation YouTube group called The Paranormal Paranoids, vanishes in the middle of filming. It’s the last anyone sees of her. That disappearance sets the stage for the rest of the story, specifically, for the investigation that follows. Mia (Camille Sullivan), Riley’s older sister, refuses to accept the uncertainty surrounding what happened. In an interview-style introduction, Mia explains her sister’s fascination with the paranormal and their complicated relationship. 

Just as the film seems to be positioning itself as a straightforward horror documentary, a stranger knocks on Mia’s door and promptly shoots himself in the head. It’s a shocking and effective moment that rattles both Mia and the audience, amplifying the sense that she’s entangled in something much larger and more dangerous than she realizes. Only then do we cut to the title card, and from that point, the film shifts fully into narrative mode. From here, Shelby Oaks dives into Mia’s increasingly desperate and obsessive investigation.

Camille Sullivan carries the movie with a powerhouse performance. She plays Mia as a woman unraveling before our eyes, her facial expressions communicating volumes even in silence. Her fear, confusion, and desperation feel so raw and authentic, grounding the film in human emotion no matter how outlandish the horror elements become. When Mia is caught in terrifying situations, whether it’s an eerie encounter tied to Riley’s past or a descent into the darker corners of her sister’s world, Sullivan’s reactions make the horror believable.

Stuckmann shows he has a natural eye for horror. The documentary-style beginning hooks the audience immediately, while the shift into narrative allows him to play with pacing and atmosphere. Certain sequences, like Keith David’s memorable single scene as Morton Jacobson, a prison warden interviewed by Mia, stand out for their intensity. David’s commanding presence makes the scene feel like a film within the film; it’s one of those rare moments where the horror feels both grounded and mythic.

That said, the deeper Mia goes into her investigation, the more the movie starts to lose its grip. The “rabbit hole” is compelling at first, pulling us into the blurred lines of paranoia and reality. But by the final fifteen minutes, the story grows convoluted, weighed down by too many layers of lore and explanation. What begins as sharp, atmospheric horror ends in something messier, as if the film couldn’t decide how to balance mystery with resolution.

Even with its flaws, Shelby Oaks succeeds as a calling card for Stuckmann. His direction suggests a filmmaker with genuine promise; he understands how to build tension, how to stage unsettling moments, and how to let actors drive the fear. What the film lacks is originality in its vision; too many elements feel familiar to seasoned horror fans, from the found footage hooks to the conspiratorial mythology. But as a debut, it’s encouraging. Stuckmann has dipped his toes into the pool of filmmaking, and while Shelby Oaks doesn’t fully deliver on its potential, it hints at exciting things to come.

Shelby Oaks was screened at Fantastic Fest on September 19-23, 2025. The film will be released in U.S. theaters on October 24, 2025 and in U.K. & Irish cinemas on October 31.