As someone who loves all things murder mystery, Shelby Oaks is a perfect blend of the retelling of an unsolved crime, and the exploration of the supernatural. The film opens with Mia (Camille Sullivan – oh my god, do I love her), depicting the cold case of her younger sister’s disappearance twelve years prior to a camera crew. Missing sister Riley (Sarah Durn) was part of a YouTube series investigating paranormal activity throughout their state and disappeared without a trace while filming. Quickly however, the direction of the film shifts from retelling Riley’s case to solving it in real time. 

What happens next is an Ari Aster-esque movie experience, with jumps between what seems to be a typical missing person case to moments jaded with elements of historical satanic lore. The audience has to believe that what Mia is experiencing with the case is the truth while questioning the validity of how she understands the world. Are her beliefs just happening inside her head, or do the pieces of this puzzle lead to something so evil that we can’t begin to comprehend it? 

While the jump between YouTuber to Filmmaker isn’t new to the Fantasia stage, Director Chris Stuckmann has been able to create a feature film that demonstrates the talent and excitement of other large horror films within our generation. I believe there were moments in the film that could still use fine-tuning. Yet, Stuckmann was able to choose talent that beautifully depicted his message on stage and provided (in my opinion) stunning cinematic backgrounds for the characters to explore. 

I will say that I had never seen a Chris Stuckmann video before the screening (don’t hate me, internet), but I was really excited about this film, and I’m invested in seeing what Stuckmann can create in the future.