Opening as a mock documentary focused on a missing YouTuber who hosted a ghost-hunting show, Shelby Oaks surpasses expectations by being an engrossing mystery and, ultimately, a different beast altogether.
Riley Brennan (Sarah Durn) was part of the Paranormal Paranoids, who head off to the deserted town of Shelby Oaks, which boasts a rotting amusement park and dilapidated houses. Riley’s sister, Mia (Camille Sullivan), is helping a film crew make a documentary about the story, the case having been dropped by the police, who consider her dead. After an occurrence while filming an interview, Mia is convinced otherwise and heads off to Shelby Oaks to see if she can find any trace of her sister.
Making his feature debut, Chris Stuckmann, himself a YouTuber with a more than healthy following, has managed to take a familiar horror conceit – the mockumentary – and merge it with a traditional narrative. More impressive is that both parts complement each other perfectly. Camille Sullivan is fantastic as the never-give-up sister, and when things take a turn that’s unfair to reveal, she excels in selling fear and anguish.
The production values on both elements of the film are brilliant. The old video footage looks genuine rather than just passed through a ‘VHS’ filter, and the ghost town of Shelby Oaks makes for a stunning location through the lens of Andrew Scott Baird. While Mia makes some of the typical horror movie mistakes (exploring creepy places alone at night), we could easily read this as Stuckmann playing at giving the audience what they want rather than having the confidence to embrace his own path fully. It doesn’t derail the film, though; by the conclusion, the missteps are forgotten. A very impressive debut.
SHELBY OAKS is in cinemas from October 31st.
