‘Shelby Oaks’ Brings Crowdfunded Horror Hit to Cinemas This Halloween

Altitude has confirmed that Chris Stuckmann’s debut feature Shelby Oaks will be released in UK and Irish cinemas on 31 October, giving the horror project a suitably timed Halloween rollout.

The film follows Mia, played by Camille Sullivan, whose determination to find her sister after a twelve-year disappearance becomes increasingly dangerous when she begins to suspect that a demon from their shared childhood may not have been imaginary. The cast also includes Brendan Sexton III and Michael Beach.

Shelby Oaks has attracted industry attention not only for its unsettling premise but also for its unusual path to production. After struggling to secure traditional financing, Stuckmann turned to Kickstarter, where the film went on to become the platform’s highest-funded horror project, raising nearly $1.4 million from more than 4,500 backers. The campaign’s success caught the attention of producers including Mike Flanagan, who came on board as executive producer.

Stuckmann, best known as a YouTube critic before moving into filmmaking, has described the project as deeply personal, drawing inspiration from his own experience of being forced to cut ties with a sibling during childhood due to religious shunning. He cites Lake Mungo, The Sixth Sense and Signs as key influences, pointing to a deliberate fusion of found footage techniques with the atmosphere of true crime documentaries.

Critical comparisons have already highlighted the film’s rejection of formula. Rather than building its scares around obvious shocks, Shelby Oaks grounds its supernatural themes in a family tragedy, focusing on grief and obsession. Its format blurs styles, shifting between pseudo-documentary textures and more conventional horror storytelling, which has been noted by early festival audiences as contributing to its disquieting tone.

The release will mark Stuckmann’s arrival as a feature filmmaker after nearly a decade of online criticism and video essays. The transition underscores the growing influence of grassroots support within the genre, where crowdfunded projects have increasingly gained traction among distributors.

Shelby Oaks will open in cinemas across the UK and Ireland on 31 October, with Altitude handling distribution.

Shelby Oaks trailer