A woman's obsessive search for her missing sister leads her into a terrifying mystery at the hands of an unknown evil.
Cast: Camille Sullivan, Keith David, Michael Bleach
Release Date: October 24, 2025 (Distributor - NEON)
Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Metacritic: N/A (updating)
Some Reviews:
Slashfilm - BJ Colangelo - 8 / 10
It's clear that Chris Stuckmann loves horror and has taken his years of determining what he likes and what he thinks "works" by reviewing films on YouTube to shape his craft. At no point does it feel like "Shelby Oaks" is anything other than the very best version of what he intended to make, as opposed to the numerous films by first-time feature filmmakers who spend too much time trying to make something they think they're supposed to make. The result is a deeply unsettling view that never loses its sense of heart or humanity. With Sullivan's phenomenal performance and Stuckmann's keen eye, "Shelby Oaks" allows us to witness the start of one of the most promising new voices in horror.
This is a horror film for and by the YouTube generation: one that’s inspired by many horror films of the past, with little regard for when or how to borrow from them. As long as it’s cool and scary. Which Shelby Oaks is.
Overall, Stuckmann’s directorial debut is a sturdy horror movie from a lover of film who clearly understands the genre. While the involvement of indie distributor Neon and producer Mike Flanagan must have gone a long way (For a sense of what the original version of Shelby Oaks was like, you can read the mostly positive reviews from its initial premiere at 2024’s Fantasia International Film Festival), there’s strong evidence of talent — and cinematic depravity — to be seen.
RogerEbert - Brian Tallerico - 2 / 4
Stuckmann is a smart dude, and one has to admire the commitment to getting this film made. He’ll bounce back, especially given he’s now been given a thumbs-up by Neon. He was also smart enough to give character actor Keith David a movie-stealing scene as the former prison warden who tells Mia about how his facility went to shit and how one of his inmates might have been possessed. A movie about a guy trying to run a haunted prison might have felt more original than this retread. Maybe they can explore that idea in the sequel. At least it’s a new one.