👻Shelby Oaks (2025): Cast, Plot, Trailer, Release Date & Streaming Info – A Found Footage Horror Uncovering Dark Family Secrets

“She’s not lost. She was taken.” – Mia Brennan

In the dead of October, horror fans are in for a chilling treat. Shelby Oaks, the long-awaited debut feature by YouTube film critic-turned-director Chris Stuckmann, finally haunts the big screen on October 3, 2025. Backed by horror heavyweight Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, Doctor Sleep), this supernatural horror mystery digs into the darkness between sisterhood, trauma, and something far more sinister.

Premiering to eerie acclaim at the Fantasia International Film Festival in July 2024, Shelby Oaks earned early buzz for its atmosphere, unnerving slow-burn tension, and an emotionally grounded lead performance from Camille Sullivan. But make no mistake—this isn’t just a ghost story. It’s a descent into paranoia, memory, and what happens when you chase the truth too deep into the dark.

🧩 Plot: What Happened to Riley?

Mia Brennan (Camille Sullivan) is tormented by one question: What happened to my sister? Years after her younger sibling, Riley (Sarah Durn), vanished without a trace, Mia begins to unravel a mystery tied to an old paranormal investigation group known as The Paranormal Paranoids.

Through chilling VHS footage, recovered phone calls, and cryptic documents, Mia begins to suspect that Riley’s disappearance wasn’t random—or human. As she dives deeper, her mind fractures under the weight of trauma, grief, and an unseen presence that seems to be watching her every move.

“Some ghosts aren’t dead. They’re just waiting.”

Is Mia being haunted by her sister’s fate… or hunted by the same force that took her?

👥 Cast: Faces in the Fog

The performances in Shelby Oaks help ground its terrifying mystery in real human pain. Led by a quietly powerful performance from Camille Sullivan, the cast weaves a tragic family drama into a chilling horror experience.

• 🎭 Camille Sullivan as Mia Brennan – a grieving sister spiraling into the unknown

• 🧒 Brenna Sherman as Young Mia – capturing the roots of Mia's lifelong trauma

• ❓ Sarah Durn as Riley Brennan – the sister who vanished

• 👨‍🦰 Brendan Sexton III as Robert Brennan – Mia’s supportive husband

• 🕵️ Michael Beach as Detective Burke – the skeptic-turned-believer

• 👻 Keith David as Morton Jacobson – a haunted prison warden with secrets

• 🧓 Robin Bartlett as Norma – an enigmatic woman with ties to the past

• And supporting performances from Charlie Talbert, Emily Bennett, and Lauren Ashley Berry as those touched by Riley’s disappearance—or cursed by it.

🎥 Behind the Screams: A YouTuber's Horror Dream Come True

What started as an indie dream project funded by Kickstarter has evolved into one of 2025’s most anticipated horror films. Directed and written by Chris Stuckmann, Shelby Oaks marks a bold debut, showing the horror vlogger’s deep love for atmospheric terror and psychological storytelling.

The film’s moody cinematography by Andrew Scott Baird, paired with editing from Patrick Lawrence and Brett W. Bachman, creates a rhythmic dread that crawls under your skin. And the haunting score by The Newton Brothers (frequent collaborators of Mike Flanagan) adds layers of emotional horror that build to a terrifying crescendo.

🎬 Release Timeline

• 🌍 World Premiere: July 20, 20,24 at Fantasia International Film Festival

• 🎟️ Theatrical Release (Neon): October 3, 2025

👀 Why Shelby Oaks Could Be the Next Horror Cult Classic

With a modest budget of $1.4–$2.8 million, Shelby Oaks isn’t about flashy effects or jump scares. Instead, it channels the eerie dread of classics like The Ring and Sinister, while offering the emotional depth of The Babadook or Hereditary. The mix of paranormal mystery, found footage elements, and mental disintegration gives it all the makings of a future cult favorite.

Critics praised the first half of the film for its atmosphere and psychological pacing, calling it “a masterclass in tension-building.” The combination of personal stakes and paranormal thrills makes it ideal for horror fans who crave intelligent storytelling wrapped in eerie mystery.

🔚 Final Thoughts: The Horror of What We Don’t See

Shelby Oaks isn’t just a ghost story—it’s a tale about memory, mental illness, sisterhood, and the demons we invite in when we can't let go. Chris Stuckmann’s feature debut proves that great horror doesn’t need excessive gore or gimmicks. It needs truth. And Shelby Oaks is terrifyingly true to the idea that some truths are better left buried.

So this Halloween season, if you hear whispers in the static or see flickers in the shadows, just remember…

“She didn’t disappear. She was taken by something that remembers.”