Shelby Oaks review
Shelby Oaks uses multiple concepts to reveal one engaging mystery.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers
Shelby Oaks
Directed by Chris Stuckmann
Written by Chris Stuckmann
Starring Camille Sullivan, Brendan Sexton III, Michael Beach, Keith David, Robin Bartlett, Charlie Talbert and Emily Bennett
Shelby Oaks Review
If you don’t know what kind of movie Shelby Oaks is before you watch it…it’s going to take a while to figure that out. Not narratively. It’s clearly about a missing person from its opening moments. How those moments are presented, however, is what changes throughout the story. Shelby Oaks uses a couple of divisive storytelling techniques in a way that plays out a bit differently than you might be used to. It ends up being a brilliant way to deliver information on an investigation that becomes more engrossing as the way it’s delivered becomes more traditional.
Mia (Camille Sullivan) refuses to give up on her mission to find out what happened to her sister Riley (Sarah Durn). It’s been twelve years since she disappeared along with three other members of her paranormal YouTube show. The other three were found murdered in a cabin in a ghost town. Riley hasn’t been seen since.
Shelby Oaks begins with a documentary format. It gives us up to speed on Riley’s story in a hurry. Footage from her paranormal show and comments from her sister paint the picture of who it is that Mia is searching for. It also includes the final footage of Riley before her disappearance…recovered by police when they found her co-workers. They only found one of the crew’s cameras, however. Meaning that there is a second batch of footage…and possible answers…still out there somewhere. The documentary portion of Shelby Oaks goes on long enough for you to believe that the whole movie will be shown using this format. When the camera turns off…and the credits start to roll…Shelby Oaks switches to a new concept.
A strange man knocks on Mia’s door. He shoots himself in the head before she can find out what he’s doing there. In his hand is a video tape labeled “Shelby Oaks”. Shelby Oaks is the name of the ghost town where Riley is believed to have disappeared. It’s been vacant for a long time…with only an abandoned amusement park and an empty correctional facility to show for itself. Riley and her friends had investigated the correctional facility days before they vanished. Mia knows about the amusement park from childhood visits with her sister.
At this point…Shelby Oaks becomes a found footage movie. Well…kind of. Mia doesn’t tell the authorities about the tape because she wants to see it for herself first. We watch with her…and that’s were the found footage angle comes in. It answers some questions…and raises others. Mia is left believing that her sister may somehow still be out there somewhere…in Shelby Oaks.
From this point on Shelby Oaks finally settles into a standard narrative presentation. It uses documentary and found footage styles to pique your interest in its investigative horror story. It works. Completely. Not only do the visual switch ups keep the story feeling fresh…but the authenticity in each presentation allows them an extra level of believability. By the time Mia sets off to Shelby Oaks…you feel like you’re watching a sequel to a movie you want to see a sequel to. As if writer/director Chris Struckmann has delivered a 12 year later continuation to his own story…all in one package. We love clever narratives. Shelby Oaks has an effective one.
It’s also a horror movie, by the way. It becomes more and more so as the narrative concepts fade to the background, and the real story plays out. Earlier this year we saw Weapons disguise what kind of horror movie it was to award worthy effect. Shelby Oaks doesn’t try to hide what kind of story it is so much as it tries to get you really excited about it. When Mia speeds off in the middle of the night heading towards the ghost town…you will be. What follows is a strong investigative horror movie with some real demonic undertones that eventually rise to the surface. This isn’t a standard missing person’s case. There is true evil in this abandoned hamlet.
There are answers too. Shelby Oaks isn’t ambiguous about what has happened to Riley or what happens to Mia’s quest. It has a very clear destination…fully answering every question that you have. Answers that hold more meaning because of the unique way the story has unfolded. You want to know what happened to Riley. Even when Mia’s leads start to turn more and more demonic in nature. She’s probably heading into a trap…but she is heading there with the determination of a woman who believes she can save her sister. Save her from what is probably a question she will wish she had asked herself before Shelby Oaks is done with her.
Scare Value
By using a few different storytelling techniques, Shelby Oaks is able to keep its investigative horror movie feeling fresh. There’s a worthwhile mystery at the center of it all too…especially for horror fans. As the storytelling becomes more traditional…the mystery becomes more insane. It’s a neat way to keep viewers interested from the start…eventually revealing the true horror that it hints at throughout.
3.5/5
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