Shelby Oaks - Spoiler Review

Who took Riley Brennan?

That's the question on everyone's mind since the trailer dropped, a promise of answers wrapped in a thrilling scare-fest of tension and fear. "You'd be so proud of her," said the promotional tagline, yet I left the theatre feeling less proud and more confused by what had unfolded on screen.

Shelby Oaks is a film that doesn't quite know what it wants to be and, unfortunately, falls short because of it. Directed by film critic Chris Stuckmann and executive produced by Mike Flanagan, Shelby Oaks follows Mia (Camille Sullivan), sister of the missing Riley Brennan (Sarah Durn), as she searches for answers about her disappearance. The choice to blend documentary-style footage with a traditional narrative works better than expected and gives the film a unique texture rarely seen in contemporary horror.

Things escalate quickly when a man later revealed to be connected to Riley's disappearance - shows up and blows his brains out on Mia's (Sullivan) doorstep. From that shocking moment onward, we switch from documentary to narrative format.

The first 45 minutes are, albeit formulaic, a good horror movie: palpable tension, solid scares, and an atmosphere that makes you want to check behind your seat in the theatre (which I did, twice, to make sure my friend didn't notice). The found footage of Riley's crew in their final moments is eerie and gripping, crafting a genuinely intriguing mystery with organically rising paranoia and high stakes. The tone, visuals, and clues all build toward something that feels like it's heading in the right direction.

Then comes the sharp, jarring turning point that derails everything. What begins as a creepy, well-executed horror flick descends into a chaotic mess of ridiculous character decisions, tonal whiplash, and a suspension of disbelief so high you'd expect Scooby and the gang to appear at any moment.

Mia (Sullivan) withholds vital evidence from the police, gets called mentally ill, and then, of course -ventures into an abandoned prison in the equally abandoned town of Shelby Oaks… at night… alone. It's the survival instinct of a toddler - actually, scratch that, a toddler would've made better choices.

Tropes can be cheesy fun when done right (take Sinners (2025), which uses vampire clichés brilliantly). But Shelby Oaks stacks trope after trope in ways that feel goofy and dull. We get the creepy old lady in the woods who hobbles everywhere- until she's revealed as evil, and suddenly she's sprinting like Usain Bolt. The cult and demon subplot had potential until we see too much. When the demon stops a dog from attacking Mia, it kills the tension completely - it's so absurd that my eyes nearly rolled into another dimension.

Then Mia follows that same demon dog to a decrepit cabin… alone. At this point, I wasn't even scared—just baffled. Riley (Durn) is found there, locked away, revealed to have been kidnapped and impregnated with a demon baby. The old woman performs a ritual, transferring the demon into the child, prompting Riley to try to kill it. For some unfathomable reason, Mia stops her, pushing Riley out of a window to be torn apart by dogs. Sigh.

Yes, horror characters make dumb choices - but this is next level. The final act feels rushed and underbaked, ditching an intriguing premise for a generic, nonsensical mess.

To its credit, Shelby Oaks shows flashes of real potential. The opening act is strong, and both Sarah Durn and Camille Sullivan deliver committed, compelling performances that elevate the material. There are glimpses of great horror direction that prove Chris Stuckmann can build tension and atmosphere. Hopefully, he learns from this project, because the first half showed a filmmaker who knows how to scare, he just lost control of his own mystery.

Shelby Oaks could've been something special. Instead, it's a frustrating reminder that sometimes, the scariest thing about horror movies is watching characters make the worst possible choices at every turn.

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Blake Reilly