Shelby Oaks review: Derivative but frequently frightening found footage horror

Shelby Oaks is a horror movie that proudly wears every genre influence on its sleeve, and while the result is a little too derivative at times, it’s also frequently frightening.

The Blair Witch Project changed the game some 25 years ago, revolutionizing horror by making found footage mainstream, and grossing a fortune in the process, all on a shoestring budget.

The team behind Blair Witch were first-time filmmakers, and that’s the case with Shelby Oaks, which is the directorial debut of Chris Stuckmann.

As a YouTube commentator and star, however, Stuckmann brings multimedia savvy to the mix, commenting on the ghost-hunting industry that Blair Witch inspired, while telling a similar and consistently scary story.

What is Shelby Oaks about?

Shelby Oaks concerns a quartet of supernatural sleuths – calling themselves the ‘Paranormal Paranoids’ – who went missing in Darke County, Ohio, in 2008.

Their hugely successful YouTube show hit big when they kept capturing the inexplicable on camera, turning them into internet sensations that were met with both adoration and skepticism.

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But at the height of their fame, a trip to a haunted prison seriously spooked one of their number, Riley Brennan. They disappeared soon after that event, while visiting an abandoned amusement park in the ghost town of the title.

The dead and mutilated bodies of three of the hosts were found soon after. But the fourth remains missing some 12 years later, begging the question: ‘Who Took Riley Brennan?’ And inspiring scores of internet sleuths to investigate the case.

A tale of two sisters

The horror movie is framed by a documentary that focuses on Mia Brennan’s search for her sister. Haunted by the disappearance – which in turn puts a strain on her marriage – Mia has become increasingly obsessed with either finding Riley or achieving some kind of closure.

She delves into their collective past, where Riley’s childhood nightmares and chilling drawings of a man in her window suggest something supernatural was haunting the young girl.

While Mia also investigates in the present, putting pieces of the puzzle together by researching occult symbols apparently left at the crime scene, and visiting the prison that scared her sister.

But getting lost down the rabbit hole, she’s soon hiding evidence from law enforcement and embarking on wild goose chases, causing those around Mia to question her sanity.

Then the horror of Riley’s reality arrives at her own door, via a memorable scene that suggests Mia might be closing in on the truth.

Multimedia moviemaking

Channelling his YouTube skills, Stuckmann utilizes multiple forms of media to tell his tale, from film, found footage, and documentary, to storytelling through social media, news broadcasts, and yes, YouTube.

These combined efforts lend something fresh to a film that frequently feels like a retread of the many movies that followed in the Blair Witch’s footsteps.

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But some of the devices fail to ring true, most notably news bulletins so unconvincing that they immediately take you out of the movie.

This all builds to a finale that works thematically, but looks a bit silly visually, turning the ending into an almighty anticlimax.

Is Shelby Oaks good?

What keeps Shelby Oaks on track is a superb central performance from Camille Sullivan as Mia, the hero of the piece, as well as the beating heart of the movie.

She’s a well drawn, well developed, well performed character, whose dumb decisions are forgiven, due to our empathizing with her horrible situation.

But if Mia is the film’s strength, her sister Riley is its weakness. She’s well played by Sarah Durn, especially when Riley seems genuinely terrified.

But she gets short shrift when it comes to character development, and because we barely get a sense of who she was, it’s hard to care about her plight, something that’s central to the film’s success.

Shelby Oaks score: 3/5

While derivative of the many pretenders to that Blair Witch crown, Shelby Oaks also manages to chill, and sometimes even genuinely scare, making the movie a solid debut from director Chris Stuckmann.

Shelby Oaks was reviewed at FrightFest and will be released in 2025. For more from that festival, check out the best horror movies we saw over the long weekend, as well as the best documentaries.