Shelby Oaks

Shelby Oaks is a 2024 American supernatural horror mystery film written, directed, and produced by Chris Stuckmann in his feature film directorial debut. It stars Camille Sullivan, Brendan Sexton III, Michael Beach, Robin Bartlett, Keith David, Charlie Talbert, Emily Bennett, and Sarah Durn. The film is also produced by Aaron B. Koontz, Cameron Burns, and Ashleigh Snead.

Shelby Oaks had its world premiere at the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival on July 20, 2024, and is scheduled to be released in the United States by Neon sometime in 2025.

Premise
Mia frantically searches for her sister Riley, after Riley ominously disappeared in the last taping of a show by a group of paranormal investigators called the Paranormal Paranoids. As Mia's obsession grows, she begins to suspect that the imaginary demon from Riley's childhood may be real.

Cast

 * Camille Sullivan as Mia
 * Brenna Sherman as Young Mia
 * Brendan Sexton III as Robert, Mia's husband
 * Michael Beach as Detective Burke
 * Robin Bartlett as Norma
 * Keith David as Morton Jacobson, a prison warden
 * Charlie Talbert as Wilson Miles
 * Emily Bennett as Janet
 * Rob Grant as Elijah
 * Lauren Ashley Berry as Jess
 * Sarah Durn as Riley, Mia's sister
 * Sloane Burkett as Young Riley
 * Eric Francis Melaragni as David
 * Anthony Baldasare as Peter
 * Caisey Cole as Laura

Development


In July 2021, YouTuber and film critic Chris Stuckmann signed on to write and direct a supernatural horror mystery film titled Shelby Oaks for Paper Street Pictures. The film is based on an online marketing campaign depicting a series of found footage videos about a fictional paranormal investigative team named The Paranormal Paranoids. The film was produced by Stuckmann, Aaron B. Koontz, Cameron Burns, and Ashleigh Snead.

Initially, the production was set to begin in late 2021, but was delayed due to insufficient funds and a potential strike between the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

Funding for the film was achieved via a Kickstarter campaign that began on March 1, 2022. On March 21, Shelby Oaks became the most-funded horror film project on Kickstarter after raising $650,000. The campaign crossed the $1 million mark from 11,200 backers by March 25. During the Cannes Film Festival in May 2022, Camille Sullivan, Brendan Sexton III, Michael Beach, Robin Bartlett, Keith David, Charlie Talbert, Emily Bennett, and Sarah Durn were revealed as the cast. Stuckmann and his wife Samantha Elizabeth co-wrote the story, while Andrew Scott Baird served as cinematographer.

Filming
Principal photography commenced on May 9, 2022, and concluded on June 5. Filming took place at various locations in Ohio, including Greenwood Farm, Ohio State Reformatory, Chippewa Lake Park, and Cleveland Public Library.

Post-production
By August 2023, post-production was suspended due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. The film's producer Koontz stated that the film is "in the final stages of post-production, including the all-important automated dialogue replacement, when actors re-record their lines. We need the actors in, but we are not a priority project because we are not in production, but we're trying to finish this film in the next month". In January 2024, Stuckmann announced that post-production was finished and that he and the studio are searching for film festivals to screen the film.

Mike Flanagan, Trevor Macy and Melinda Nishioka served as executive producers on the film, under their production company Intrepid Pictures. On joining the project, Flanagan said: "I was impressed with Chris' work ethic, his intellect, his talent and his determination ... I watched his Kickstarter campaign for 'Shelby' with great interest as it really took off ... There was so much about Chris' experience and story that reminded me of what I went through early in my career, he's on a really exciting path, and it has been a pleasure to share a few small steps with him on his way." Flanagan provided Stuckmann with notes and feedback from the script stage to post-production as well as offering additional industry connections. The film was composed by The Newton Brothers, a frequent collaborator of Flanagan.

Release
Shelby Oaks had its world premiere at the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival on July 20, 2024, where it competed as part of the "New Flesh 2024 Competition Titles". It is set to screen at the 25th FrightFest film festival on August 23, 2024 and the 57th Sitges Film Festival in October 2024. The film is set to have screenings in Austin, Texas; Cleveland, Ohio; Los Angeles, California; and New York City, New York.

In July 2024, Neon acquired worldwide distribution rights to the film.

Critical response
BJ Colangelo of /Film gave the film a 8/10 rating, writing that "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." Alison Foreman of IndieWire gave the film a "B-", saying that the film "was obviously written by a critic, one with a near-legendary knowledge of the pop culture archives, and it's directed with a palpable confidence that could lead to better things." In a more mixed review, Julian Malandruccolo of High on Films summarized that "Chris Stuckmann clearly loves movies—horror movies in particular—but little in Shelby Oaks strikes as the work of someone who felt compelled to bring a new dimension to the conversation, but rather someone who wanted to enthusiastically join in on the existing discussion. As a result, Mia's search for Riley becomes Stuckmann's search for motivation—with some time and the same care exerted here, that search may someday pay off."