Over the years, we have seen a number of famous YouTube creators release movies, often with less-than-stellar results. Whilst the last two decades have proven that being “internet famous” is a legitimate pipeline to mainstream success, many have tried and failed. Recently, however, we have seen an impressive rise in YouTubers turned filmmakers and some exciting results. YouTubers like Dan Trachtenberg, Curry Barker and the Philippou Brothers have all been making some of the most unique and interesting films in recent memory. Now, it is Chris Stuckmann's moment in the spotlight, but will he succeed?
Shelby Oaks starts with faux-documentary footage setting up the sorry tale of the Paranormal Paranoids, a group of online investigators led by Riley Brennan (Sarah Durn). As the mockumentary opening reveals through a final creepy video, Riley and her crew went missing shortly after exploring an abandoned, haunted prison. Weeks later, they are all found dead, all except for Riley. Years later, her older sister Mia (Camille Sullivan) is still obsessed with finding her, to the point that the rest of her life has stalled as a result.
Stuckmann and co. start so strongly with this opening that you wonder how the rest of the film can keep up such a high quality. Taking clear influence from found-footage classics Lake Mungo and The Blair Witch Project, the mix of interviews and recovered footage questions which is more terrifying—what happened to Riley Brennan or how deeply it has impacted those who love her.
The film's shift from mockumentary to a standard narrative feature—a shift in tone and style that many would fail at—is something Stuckmann handles masterfully, transitioning from one to the other with ease and continuing to jump back and fourth for the rest of the film.
For many, this section could easily be the high point of the movie's one hundred-minute runtime, but the mystery at the heart of the film is so fascinating that we quickly find ourselves strapping in for the ride. What happened to the Paranormal Paranoids? Where is Riley Brennan? Will Mia ever see her sister again? All these questions are at the back of our heads throughout, begging the filmmakers to give us some answers. Fans of Stuckmann's YouTube channel will undoubtedly get a kick out of seeing the director take influence from movies that he has reviewed on his channel, like Zodiac and Se7en, two films which clearly played a role in crafting the mystery.
Whilst Stuckmann and co-writer Samantha Elizabeth manage to keep up the energy of the film for the most part, there is a noticeable dip near the end of act two. Though this loss of momentum is temporary, it occurs during one of the movie's major setpieces, meaning the damage done is far greater. Despite this brief dip in quality, the film is constantly held up by the excellent lead performance from Sullivan. Equally as subtle and nuanced as it is overwrought, Sullivan's depiction of Riley's grieving sister turned final girl means that the emotion of the story never falters.
Elizabeth and Stuckmann's script may have to fight harder to win us back for the final act, but the two writers craft an excellent climax, which more than makes up for past mistakes. Shelby Oaks is a film all about perception. From the news anchors we see reporting on the original search for the missing Paranormal Paranoids, to the YouTube comments we can read below the final videos of Riley Brennan, and the documentary commissioned by Mia to further the search for her sister, the movie is consistently making us look one way when really we should be looking the other, leading to a bleak ending that viewers are unlikely to forget anytime soon.
Shelby Oaks is far from a perfect film, but it is an impressive debut from Chris Stuckmann, who proves himself here as not just a YouTuber or film critic, but as director and writer. With impressive scares and great performances all around, this horror picture has the power to pull you into its emotional character arcs one minute and have you jumping back into your seat the next.
Shelby Oaks is in cinemas now
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