Beyond Fest at American Cinematheque 2025 Review: Shelby Oaks

Chris Stuckmann’s debut Shelby Oaks blends found footage and supernatural dread at Beyond Fest 2025.

After years of anticipation, YouTube critic-turned-filmmaker Chris Stuckmann finally brings his debut feature Shelby Oaks to the big screen, arriving at Beyond Fest following buzz from Fantasia, TIFF, and Fantastic Fest. Funded in part by fans and championed early by Mike Flanagan, the film has carried the weight of expectation from both horror circles and Stuckmann’s large online following.

At its core, Shelby Oaks follows a young woman searching for her sister, a popular YouTuber and influencer who has mysteriously disappeared. Her search begins to stir up unsettling clues that suggest the terrifying stories from her past may not have been imagined after all.

The film plays in and out of found-footage and mockumentary aesthetics, blending traditional narrative style with sequences that mimic recovered video, while leaning heavily on atmosphere, lighting, and sound design to keep audiences on edge.

Stuckmann, best known for over a decade of movie reviews, shows a clear awareness of the genre’s history. There are nods to The Blair Witch Project, flashes of The Shining, and a Silent Hill–like decay in the environments he builds. While it borrows from familiar templates, Shelby Oaks resists becoming a direct clone. Instead, it embraces fiction for its own sake, playing with horror language rather than trying to pass itself off as “real.”

Visually, the film succeeds. The photography from Andrew Scott Baird (Scare Package, Blood Relatives) gives Shelby Oaks a professional polish, and the post-production sound booms with a mainstream horror sensibility designed to jolt modern audiences. The supporting cast, along with the ominous presence of the film’s “hellhounds,” build out a world that feels ambitious for a first feature.

Where the film falters is in pacing and cohesion. At nearly two hours, Shelby Oaks occasionally feels over-manufactured, as though pulled from multiple influences without always finding a consistent emotional core. While there’s no shortage of eerie imagery, the impact of its central mystery doesn’t always land as strongly as it could, leaving the final act more muddled than the opening stretch.

Still, for a debut effort, Shelby Oaks represents a significant leap for Stuckmann. It’s clear he has the eye and ambition to keep building as a filmmaker, and while this first outing is uneven, it’s also a “big time” horror film in scope but not in production value. For a critic stepping behind the camera, that’s an achievement worth recognizing.

Verdict: Ambitious, atmospheric, and uneven, Shelby Oaks is a respectable first step for Chris Stuckmann. It won’t reinvent found footage, mockumentary, or supernatural horror, but it proves he has the craft to grow into the role of filmmaker.

Rating: 2.5/5

Written & Directed by Chris Stuckmann

Executive Producer Mike Flanagan

Produced by Aaron B. Koontz, Ashleigh Snead, Cameron Burns

Starring Sarah Durn, Camille Sullivan, Charlie Talbert, Robin Bartlett, Michael Beach, Emily Bennett, Keith David, Brendan Sexton III, Derek Mears