Where Chris Stuckmann’s Shelby Oaks Succeeds and Falters

Courtesy of NEON

Chris Stuckmann’s first movie, Shelby Oaks, is finally out, starring Camille Sullivan in this horror movie. A woman named Mia is looking for her younger sister, Riley, who disappeared twelve years ago while she and her friends were filming a paranormal video for YouTube in the ghost town of Shelby Oaks. Stuckmann is known for being one of YouTube’s most popular reviewers with over two million subscribers. He has reviewed movies since 2009, whether they were just released or had been out for years. He has said many times he dreamed of making a movie, and in 2021, it was announced he would direct Shelby Oaks. Despite the tough road to getting there, Stuckmann made it. So how did he do?

Stuckmann succeeds in creating this horror atmosphere, combined with a mystery movie, for Shelby Oaks. The first twenty minutes are well put together, feeling like a documentary and a great blend of found footage and documentary making. People might complain it feels slow, but I thought the slow pacing for the first act worked. For a movie that Stuckmann said has one of the lowest budgets of the year, the special and practical effects surprisingly work, especially in the third act. Stuckmann has creative symbolism in this movie, particularly when it ties into the evil force Mia suspects is behind Riley’s disappearance. It’s easy to recognize that Stuckmann was influenced by The Ring, The Blair Witch Project, and M. Night Shyamalan movies. Stuckmann got to film at Ohio State Reformatory, where The Shawshank Redemption was also filmed, and it was a place Stuckmann had dreamed of filming a movie. Besides the opening twenty minutes, the best moments in Shelby Oaks were the scenes Stuckmann filmed in the Reformatory. The settings overall were put together well. Acting-wise, Camille Sullivan as the main character works, and she is determined to find her sister. No one gives an amazing performance, but at the same time, no one gives a bad performance.

Where Shelby Oaks shows a lot of weaknesses is in the screenplay. Chris Stuckmann and his wife wrote Shelby Oak’s screenplay. The story has promise, but it feels as if scenes are rushed, things aren’t explained clearly, and characters are underutilized. The third act felt like the most rushed third act in the last few years. The very end felt choppy and will likely leave viewers confused and unfulfilled. While the character Mia is developed well for a main character, the rest of the characters feel as if they wouldn’t make a difference if they were not in the movie. There are hints of Mia and her husband’s marriage being strained, and how they were never able to have kids. I felt that could have been explored more. Stuckmann seems to make some of the same cookie-cutter and horror cliche mistakes he would most likely criticize as a reviewer. Perhaps certain things not being explained better and feeling rushed are due to a small budget, but it still shouldn’t be an excuse.

Overall, Chris Stuckmann understands how to film and put together a movie, as Shelby Oaks looks well-made and put together. The actors did well with what they were given and it seems Stuckmann knows how to get good performances out of his actors. The story has a lot to be desired, and the third act pacing and messy ending hurt this movie. Still, Chris Stuckmann has a future in filmmaking. If he can get a better writer or improve his writing, Chris Stuckmann can succeed. Shelby Oaks isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s still neat to see a successful YouTube reviewer direct a movie that still manages to have good cinematography and potential to be better.

My final grade for Shelby Oaks is a C+. I hope Stuckmann directs another movie, but perhaps in a different genre before going back to horror. What are your thoughts on Shelby Oaks? Let us know in the comments below.