Shelby Oaks Trailer Breakdown!
Neon has burnished a reputation as one of the top indie studios for horror films. Its latest upcoming release is Shelby Oaks, which launches into theaters on October 24th – just in time for Halloween. The Shelby Oaks trailer gives an intriguing glimpse on a potential sleeper for the spooky season.
It’s about a woman’s desperate search for her missing sister, who disappeared in an abandoned ghost town named, that’s right, Shelby Oaks. This movie is a continuation of the web series Paranormal Paranoids which was created by horror movie reviewer and first-time feature length film director Chris Stuckmann. Mike Flanagan is the executive producer.
I’m not sure how excited I should be about Flanagan’s involvement. “Executive producer” sounds like an important title, but, in practice, it’s often little more than a ceremonial role. Neon knew that having Flanagan’s name attached to the project would help build interest regardless of how much involvement he had in the making of the film.
The trailer has received more than two million views in just a couple of days. Critics have generally praised the film thus far. Could Neon have another surprise hit on its hands, like Longlegs?
Shelby Oaks Trailer Breakdown
0:09-0:19 – Shelby Oaks is a mix of found footage and conventional filming. The main character, Mia (Camille Sullivan), watches disturbing footage from a camcorder tape. This movie is another addition to the analog horror trend, even though it appears to be set in present day.
0:29-0:37 – “My sister isn’t the first to go missing.” I haven’t watched the web series, but clearly a mythology is being established here. I wonder if Shelby Oaks will make sense to people who aren’t familiar with the backstory going in?
1:07-1:15 – Looks like the sisters endured some spooky trauma as kids. This element reminds me of the family from the Paranormal Activity series.
Many of the early reviews compare to movie to The Blair Witch Project. There’s a strong occult element in the trailer. Was the sister kidnapped by a witch?
Here’s the Shelby Oaks movie trailer:
