DVD Corner

Shelby Oaks Blu-ray Review

“Shelby Oaks” tries to do too much.  

In 2025’s horror film “Shelby Oaks,” the story concerns a missing woman named Riley. Riley was a part of the “Ghost Hunters” esque YouTube series “Paranormal Paranoids.” After doing an investigation in the ghost town of Shelby Oaks, the entire team ends up dying mysteriously aside from Riley who has vanished without a trace. 12 years pass and Riley’s sister Mia is struggling. Her marriage is on the rocks and she still believes Riley is alive. After a set of disturbing experiences (no spoilers here), Mia receives new evidence that leads her to look into Riley’s disappearance. Through a series of investigations, Mia discovers clues as to Riley’s whereabouts and that she may unwillingly be caught up in something very sinister.

YouTuber/film critic Chris Stuckmann has had quite a journey in making his first feature film. What started out as a crowdfunded indie film soon became something bigger after Mike Flanagan hopped on board as an executive producer and Neon picked up the film (and gave Stuckmann additional money and days to shoot). Now, “Shelby Oaks” is out in the world. It’s clear that Stuckmann has a passion for both filmmaking and storytelling and he even manages to integrate YouTube into the story. It’s also quite clear that he borrowed inspiration from many horror films such as “Paranormal Activity,” “Barbarian,” and “The Blair Witch Project.” While it’s not out of the ordinary to be inspired by films of the past, it does leave “Shelby Oaks” without an identity of its own.

Watching “Shelby Oaks” is like watching multiple horror films smashed together. It’s part found footage film, part investigative horror-mystery, part “Ghost Hunters,” part abduction story, part possession film, and a part demonic tale. If that all sounds like a lot, it is. There’s enough ideas here for multiple movies, but, for the most part, it’s all overly familiar and uninspired (albeit watchable). There’s some concepts that hold promise (like the hellhounds), but they get lost in the shuffle.

Stuckmann has assembled an impressive cast here including a few veteran actors like Keith David, Derek Mears, Michael Beach, Camille Sullivan, and Brendan Sexton III. The real standout though is Sarah Durn as Riley. It would not surprise me if her career takes off from here on out.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.39:1 1080p. How does it look? To no surprise the non-found footage elements are obviously sharper in hi-def. It’s a solid transfer all-around.

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? Viewers can expect an effective audio track.

Extras:
* Trailers for “No Other Choice,” “Keeper,” and “Shelby Oaks.”
* 3 TV spots
* Commentary by Chris Stuckmann
* 4 episodes of the “Paranormal Paranoids” show that appears in the film
* “Crime Scene Gallery” stills
* “The Final Tape” in full.
* “The Making Of Shelby Oaks”- A 6 part extra featuring set footage, interviews, pre-prod information, location shooting tidbits, the production, and more. 

January 15, 2026 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Chris Stuckmann, Found Footage, Horror Film, Neon, Shelby Oaks, Shelby Oaks Blu-ray Review