For years I was a pretty fan of Youtuber Chris Stuckmann and his movie reviews. As his style changed, I fell out of touch with his stuff but I was pretty happy when I learned the guy got to fulfill his dream of making a major studio film. So how did his debut horror movie turn out?
Riley Brennan, host of a famous, early, paranormal Youtube channel disappeared in 2008 with her friends. Her friends were all discovered brutally killed, but there’s no sign of Riley, her last video recorded in the abandoned town of Shelby Oaks. Riley’ sister, Mia, refuses to give up home. Twelve years later, a man commits suicide on Mia’s doorstep, and in his hand is a tape named after the town where Riley disappeared. Setting off, Mia must answer what happened in Shelby Oaks.
This was a weird bag for me. The movie looks really damn good and the acting is solid all around. However the story kills the potential this movie has. The opening is solid, almost strong, but breaks apart as it goes on. I feel like the characters and backstories weren’t really developed and the story needed more connective tissue between events so the movie wouldn’t feel like a series of random events strung together. The finale could’ve been good if I understood what was really going on. Admittedly, I’m sorry to say I laughed at the very end. What saves the movie is some tense atmosphere and really good camera work. I feel like I’ve been overly negative in this review but honestly, Stuckmann’s debut isn’t bad, just not great either. It’s worth checking out if you got Hulu and I do think the guy has talent and I’d gladly check out his next project. May the gaming gods bring you glory.
Savior Gaming 