SHELBY OAKS
Starring: Camille Sullivan, Brendan Sexton III, Michael Beach, Sarah Durn, Robin Bartlett, and Keith David
Director: Chris Stuckmann
NICK
The successful YouTuber turned successful director pool is rapidly growing, and you can add Chris Stuckmann to that list. In Shelby Oaks, Stuckmann shows a great eye behind the camera along with an ability to create an unsettling and eerie atmosphere without the need for much dialogue. It doesn’t always work, as some of the scenes can feel a tad tedious and overdrawn, but hiccups are expected for a debut feature. Oaks will have a lot of eyes on it thanks to Stuckmann and its historic crowdfunding campaign; however, I’m more excited to see what the director does next now that he’s gotten his feet wet.
ADRIANO
For his debut film, all eyes are on YouTube reviewer turned writer/director Chris Stuckmann, and I'm delighted to say that Shelby Oaks is good. It's unremarkable, sure, but good, nevertheless. Stuckmann wears his influences on his sleeves (The Blair Witch Project, Hereditary, etc.) and pours in tons of eerie tension, from its found-footage opener to the supernatural terror to come. He does it all with an excellent directorial eye, too, even if there are some cheap scare tactics thrown in. Admittedly, the third act shoots itself in the foot, but I'm still happy to say Stuckmann pulled it off.
BODE
Like many critics before him, Chris Stuckmann steps into the world of feature filmmaking with Shelby Oaks. Admittedly, as someone who followed his YouTube channel, it’s heartening to see him make it this far. That’s why I hate to say that I don’t think this fully works. While he has a decent handle of tone and atmosphere, the uninspired narrative ends up being its biggest crutch, increasingly becoming a hodgepodge of better horror movies as it goes. I’m not un-interested in seeing what he does next as a director, but he should probably think about working off someone else’s script.
ROBERT
The great rookie filmmakers in cinematic history know how to intersperse techniques and shots from their influences without it overwhelming their debuts. In Shelby Oaks, director Chris Stuckmann waves obvious imagery and homages in front of the audience’s face in service of a convoluted plot. The composition of the cinematography and the staging speak to an expert eye for directing, but the writing and story construction are where Stuckmann falls flat. I believe time and repetition will further solidify what Stuckmann can do, and I did have fun with this effort, but “effort” is how I would describe the viewing experience by the end.
