Directed by Chris Stuckmann, this film offers viewers an experiment of various types of film; dabbling in the realms of the pseudo-documentary and found footage to tell this narrative. After the first fifteen minutes, there is a clear tonal and stylistic shift in the film, which cleverly subverts the audience’s expectations as to how the rest of the film will continue.
The quality of this film is incredibly impressive considering that Stuckmann is a YouTuber himself, mainly making film review and critique videos, with a mass following of two million subscribers. With horror veteran Mike Flanagan as a producer on this project, the two have carefully crafted a scarier, more horrifying film that will surely appease those who find The Conjuring franchise too tame.
While Camille Sullivan gives a decent performance as dedicated older sister, Mia, and with a brief appearance from the timeless Keith David, the acting here is not the most hooking part of the film. The plot itself is full of twists and turns as you follow the journey along with Mia as she unravels the mystery behind her sister’s disappearance.
Looking a bit deeper, this film briefly explores themes to do with cults and sexual violence, and the impact this has on victims of such acts, which was a disturbing yet interesting thing to see portrayed and play out during this feature.
Another amazing feature of this film was the set design. Especially in the latter half of the film, the set design for the abandoned Shelby Oaks town, was incredibly creepy and atmospheric.
This film is a must-see for horror fans, particularly supernatural and found footage horror fans alike.