The must-see film coming to cinemas this Halloween - critics say it 'redefines horror'

A film made by horror fans for horror fans, Shelby Oaks is the must-see scary film this spooky season. Altitude will release the highly anticipated, chilling new horror Shelby Oaks in UK and Irish cinemas on October 31, to add some fright to your Halloween night.

The film's synopsis reads: "A woman's desperate search for her long-lost sister falls into obsession upon realising that the imaginary demon from their childhood may have been real."

Running for 91 minutes, Shelby Oaks marks the debut feature from Chris Stuckmann, with assured visual storytelling and razor-sharp tension, it boldly announces the arrival of a compelling new voice in genre cinema.

Starring Camille Sullivan, Brendan Sexton III and Michael Beach, Shelby Oaks is a one-of-a-kind horror that defies genre conventions, delivering a uniquely immersive and terrifying journey.

Shelby Oaks is one the most-funded horror film project on Kickstarter, attracting over 4,500 backers and with support of acclaimed horror filmmaker and executive producer Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep, Midnight Mass).

Stuckmann, the film's writer and director, said: "I didn't realise it until post-production, but this became a much more personal project than I had initially conceived. We follow Mia, played by the immensely talented Camille Sullivan, as she searches for her sister, who's been missing for twelve years.

"The world believes her sister is dead, yet Mia plows forward, convinced her search isn't in vain. I was raised in a faith that practices shunning, and when I was 12, my sister left that faith.

"I was forced to shun her, and as a result, I cut off all communication with her. I was told my sister was 'spiritually dead,' and despite knowing she was alive and well, we didn't reconnect until my early twenties, after I finally escaped that faith.

"So it only makes sense that I'd identify with a story about someone's desperate yearning to find a lost loved one, as seemingly insurmountable forces keep them apart.

"Nine years ago, my wife and I shot a YouTube sketch that has now evolved into a feature film. Over the course of making it, I became a father to twins, and a pandemic shut down the globe. Most filmmakers say that every film they make changes them, and indeed, while making Shelby Oaks, the axis of my entire world shifted. And I couldn't be happier."

The film's reviews have so far confirmed its the perfect Halloween release, with Collider billing it a "horrific nightmare".

SciFiNow said the film was "nightmarish, traumatising and terrifying", while Mashable said it was "unnerving as hell".

"It redefines the horror genre", wrote SlashFilm, while HeyUGuy said it was "creepy as hell".

Shelby Oaks will hit UK cinemas from October 31.