Review: In 'Shelby Oaks,' All the Clichés Are Sprayed with the Subtlety of a T-Shirt Gun

'Shelby Oaks' review: Hints of 'The Blair Witch Project,' 'Lake Mungo,' and 'Barbarian'

"Shelby Oaks," the first film from YouTube reviewer Chris Stuckmann, includes influences ranging from "The Blair Witch Project" to "Barbarian."

Review: In 'Shelby Oaks,' all the clichés are sprayed with the subtlety of a T-shirt gun

First-time feature filmmaker Chris Stuckmann, a YouTube film critic and horror fan, makes a game attempt at brewing his own dread, in a style that's too studious.

'Shelby Oaks' Review - A Wickedly Strong Debut From Chris Stuckmann

Shelby Oaks (2025) marks a pivotal point for online film criticism, though not for the reason one might think. In this extremely rare instance, the critic is behind the camera. Writer-director Chris Stuckmann is well known to a whole generation of online moviegoers as one of the most prominent film critics on YouTube. I would [...] The post ‘Shelby Oaks’ Review – A Wickedly Strong Debut From Chris Stuckmann appeared first on DiscussingFilm.

Shelby Oaks Review: Chris Stuckmann’s Debut is an Uninspired Horror Mishmash

Note: This review was originally published as part of our 2024 Fantasia coverage. Shelby Oaks opens in theaters on October 24. There’s been a bit of mystery surrounding Shelby Oaks, the directorial debut of Chris Stuckmann. A YouTuber who got his start reviewing films and has now amassed over two-million subscribers, Stuckmann pursued his goal of becoming a full-fledged filmmaker, got producers to come aboard, and then pulled off the feat of rai…