Photo via kickstarter.com
By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
Finally, a horror film that truly tries to terrify arrives just in time for Halloween. “Shelby Oaks” is a small budget supernatural thriller that immediately builds the white-knuckled tension from the beginning and holds it all the way through its hour and a half runtime. Sure, there’s a clunkiness to the plot and some of the acting is really bad, but the scare tactics are on point that make this a fun fright fest.
A popular paranormal investigation team led by Riley (Sarah Durn) went mysteriously missing 12 years ago after visiting a supposed uninhabited ghost town named Shelby Oaks. Riley’s sister Mia (Camille Sullivan) has been obsessively searching for answers ever since. When she comes into possession of a morbid clue, she realizes that a demon from their past may be responsible for her sister’s disappearance. Nothing can prepare Mia for what she finds when she retraces Riley’s fated steps.
This is Chris Stuckmann’s directorial debut, and it is far from perfect as he explores several different styles to relay this story. He starts with a found footage style similar to “The Blair Witch Project” that bleeds into a mockumentary style only to abandon that completely for a conventional narrative style when he transitions the story 12 years into the future. This is a bit of a jarring and chaotic way to begin a film that illustrates his inexperience. However, once Stuckmann commits to that generic storytelling format, the film finds its groove and takes off at breakneck speeds.
Stuckmann really shines when it comes to building tension and suspense. He exhibits unrelenting patience as he prolongs the hair-raising terror within scenes, waiting for the opportune moment to spring the inevitable jump scare, rather than the cheap thrills most horror amateur filmmakers provide. In this way, he keeps the audience on the edge of their seat taking in quick, shallow breaths as the anticipation of a fear-inducing reveal becomes almost unbearable. The cinematography he employs is better than the budget would indicate, alternating between the handheld, home video quality of the found footage to contemporary digital filmmaking, and complimented by spooky lighting. The set pieces, especially for the dilapidated ghost town, add to the atmospherics of the visuals. The score further enhances the creepy vibe, leading viewers into the nightmarish landscape.
Interestingly, “Shelby Oaks” became the highest funded horror film using the Kickstarter campaign, reaching over $1 million after only a month of campaigning. The highly reputable studio NEON came in and acquired the film, adding an additional $1+ million for additional reshoots and visual effects. Unfortunately, those visual effects leave a lot to be desired, especially in scenes depicting the hell hounds. Stuckmann also fails to stick the landing, stumbling in the final act of the film with a rather weak climax.
The acting performances are all over the spectrum, but Camille Sullivan is the wonderful surprise, carrying the film across the finish line. The Canadian actress, a veteran of 25+ years, provides her character with that strong tenacity and borderline obsession to believably put herself in mortal danger time and time again. When her character encounters that supernatural, demonic presence, the terror in her facial expressions and body language are so authentic, they infect the audience with that sense of fear and foreboding.
The rest of the supporting cast is hit and mostly miss as is typical of a low-budget horror film. Sarah Durn is brutal as the missing sister, showing up on the found footage as completely unnatural in her role as a paranormal investigator, leading to some heavy eye rolling and scoffs from the audience. Keith David, an actor in over 400 productions, lends his incredible experience to the supporting cast, but he’s in this movie so briefly, it barely makes an impact.
With elements reminiscent of 1999’s “The Blair Witch Project” and 2006’s “Silent Hill,” this film scratches that horror itch, making it the worthwhile selection to see on the big screen this Halloween season. If you can get past some of the early formatting identity issues, “Shelby Oaks” will reward you with some true nail-biting terror that will get your adrenaline pumping.
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