By Hope Madden 
Chris Stuckmann, a name once synonymous with film criticism on YouTube, has now stepped through the screen to become a creator himself. His journey to make “Shelby Oaks” is a tale of passion and determination, fueled by the support of a dedicated fanbase through a successful Kickstarter campaign. This path ultimately led him to collaboration with acclaimed horror producer Mike Flanagan and a theatrical release by NEON, marking a dream transition from commentator to filmmaker.
The film itself delves into a deeply personal mystery. It follows Mia, a woman whose life has been defined by the obsessive search for her sister, Riley . Riley was the host of a ghost-hunting web show called the “Paranormal Paranoids,” who vanished over a decade ago with her crew under terrifying and unexplained circumstances .
The discovery of a long-lost tape reignites the case, pulling Mia into a shadowy investigation that suggests the terror might be connected to a sinister, supernatural force the sisters believed in since childhood. “Shelby Oaks” weaves together different styles, beginning as a faux documentary about the disappearance before shifting into a more traditional narrative as Mia ventures into the abandoned locations that claimed her sister.
Shelby Oaks Hunts Your Childhood Demons
A woman’s search for her long-lost sister becomes an obsession when she realizes a demon from their childhood may have been real, not imaginary.
Release date: 31 October 2025 (UK)
Director: Chris Stuckmann
Producers: Chris Stuckmann, Ashleigh Snead, Cameron Burns, Aaron B. Koontz
A Horror Movie Review by Hope Madden
Chris Stuckmann—film critic, podcaster, YouTube phenom, DIY filmmaker and Ohio native—delivers his directorial feature debut with Shelby Oaks, one woman’s odyssey to find her missing sister.
Stuckmann’s approach combines found footage style with something more cinematic, balancing the jarring authenticity of one with the macabre beauty of the other.
Mia (Camille Sullivan) is talking with a documentarian about her sister Riley’s cold case. Twelve years ago, Riley’s (Sarah Durn) popular ghost hunting show Paranormal Paranoids stumbled into an Ohio ghost town and disappeared. Viewers cried hoax until Riley’s producers and directors were found dead. Riley was not found at all.
Mia hopes the documentary will reignite interest in her sister’s case, maybe generate some leads. In a way, it does, and Mia takes it upon herself to follow the breadcrumb trail back to Darke County, OH and the scene of the crime.
The found footage of the early film gives way to something more eerily beautiful as Mia explores an abandoned theme park, disused reformatory, and a little town long vacated. When Mia meets Norma (an intensely unnerving Robin Bartlett), the film takes a sinister turn.
Sullivan carries the film easily, utterly convincing as a protective older sister unintimidated by obstacles, however horrific, and unwilling to abandon her beloved little sister. Creature design is equally impressive, and Stuckmann’s choices to keep the image on the periphery of the film amplifies its unsettling effect.
Shelby Oaks delivers a spooky tale brimming with love of genre. It creates place well and develops an atmosphere of tunnel vision optimism that allows the audience to see what Mia cannot. But it doesn’t break any new ground. Pieces fit together well, the mystery and its solution possess integrity often lacking in genre fare, especially in found footage films. But there aren’t a lot of surprises here.
There are fun jumps, eerie images, creepy images and a solid mystery though. More than reason enough to look forward to whatever Stuckmann does next.
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