Shelby Oaks

A hilariocity this is not. This is Chris Stuckmann's first film, and he directs as though he is a veteran filmmaker. Having just viewed "Shelby Oaks" at Fantasia, I can honestly say that it did not disappoint. I am of course biased, being a long term fan of his YouTube channel, but I would argue that it has little to no effect on my 10/10 rating. This is a great film which will I believe will please both fans of Stuckmann and people unaware of who he is. It is no exaggeration to say I love this movie and would definitely recommend it to others looking for a new good horror movie. Can't wait to see what he does next.

I know it is actually meant to be found footage ... but then again, if this was a found footage movie, it would not use real cameras and switch back and forth between formats ... that said, having someone like Mike Flanigan standing behind (or in front of) your movie is quite the achievement and badge of honor I'd say.

This really drives home quite a few points to say the least. And it also has quite a few twists - before the movie started we were told not to give away anything ... even without that I would not have done it anyway. I don't like when people think it's ok to do that and spoil other peoples fun .... or enjoyment ... or just plain suspense they might have ... well had! So there is a bit of a Blair Witch feeling to this, but I would say it is a sort of update ... not just doing one style ... but making it more of a mystery ... I can say I saw the ending coming ... the very last twist was quite see through ... sometimes you have to throw some things out ... be it believes or whatever else comes in handy ... or convenient to further the story and plot ... you'll understand ... really well done! Shame the director couldn't be at the Festival (he had a cold - like the rest of his family ... and he did the sane thing ... not coming infecting others) ... would have liked to pick his brain on some stuff ... still really well done and check it when it comes out.

A YouTube content creator goes missing in the town of Shelby Oaks. Does her chilling last video clip contain the clues to the mystery of her disappearance?

It's not particularly unique but what it does, it does well.

I would have expected Shelby Oaks to be a blipvert, rapid fire absurdity for the TikTok generation but instead, it's a nicely paced, slow burn horror/thriller with some good touches and ideas.

The film looks very nice and performances are convincing. I saw the International Premier at FrightFest, London and it went down well.

It doesn't quite land the punches of genre movies, such as Sinister or Blair Witch Project but the viewing experience doesn't leave you feeling disappointed.

I don't think Stuckmann's name attached to this movie is going to affect its success one way or the other. The film stands on its own feet and will probably stick around for some years to come.

Great debut for Chris Stuckmann. It was an amazing movie experience from a first time writer director. His love for movie making is quite transparent in his piece. I'm reminded of the first time I watched Duel or Reservoir Dogs, being riveted and hooked from start to finish. The acting was flawless, the sound design was gripping and visually it was gorgeous with a special nod to the lighting department.

Very much looking forward from Chris Stuckmann's other projects that will now, surely, have much bigger budget to put to the big screen those stories he has been working on for years. Glad I got to shake the hand of a great movie lover like me that now many will get to love his movies as well.

I really thought this movie would be something different, but instead it follows a generic found footage movie. The budget considering being quite low for a film kinda shows.

The acting was passable but it's the directing and writing that really affects the movie. The plot just gets lost along the way and the pacing suffers.

As a horror movie fan if you're expecting to get scared, then this film will pile on more disappointment. I was hoping that Chris as a horror fan would understand the genre more and stray away from it's usual tropes, but nope his movies falls into typical stereotypes.

I guess being a decent critic doesn't mean you will automatically become a good director and it shows painfully throughout the entire runtime of the film.