2025 has been a phenomenal year for horror movies, as many spectacular films in the genre have scared up success in theaters. Since the year began, audiences have raved about several horror films from new and established franchises, including Sinners, The Monkey, Bring Her Back, Companion, 28 Years Later, Final Destination Bloodlines, and Together.

With 2025’s turnout, horror continues to be one of the most popular and profitable genres in cinema. There are certainly more exciting horror films to come later this year, such as Weapons, Him, Keeper, and Black Phone 2.

While all these upcoming 2025 horror movies are likely to become more success stories, there is one indie film made by an up-and-coming director with enough support and acclaim to scare away the compeтιтion and become a surprise hit in theaters.

Shelby Oaks’ Trailer Teases A Great New Horror

If there is a horror movie that could scare and shock audiences this year, it’s Shelby Oaks. Distributor Neon has delivered multiple hit horror movies in recent years, including Longlegs, The Monkey, тιтane, Immaculate, and Together. Shelby Oaks is also written and directed by popular YouTuber and film critic Chris Stuckmann, who has clearly brought his extensive knowledge of cinema and filmmaking into this, his feature-length debut.

Shelby Oaks is even executive-produced by filmmaker Mike Flanagan, who established himself as a horror genius with The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mᴀss, Hush, and Doctor Sleep. If Shelby Oaks received the blessing and support of someone like Flanagan, this horror must be something special and terrifying.

Neon’s redband trailer for Shelby Oaks has already shown its frightening potential. In less than half a minute, the trailer hooks its audience by starting with a man shooting himself in front of an unsuspecting Mia. The protagonist (Camille Sullivan) then finds a videotape with him that holds footage of her long-lost sister Riley, who went missing while investigating the тιтular town for her paranormal investigation series.

As the protagonist delves deeper into this bloody mystery, the trailer builds great tension and suspense as she encounters creepy townspeople and an unseen, monstrous presence waiting to be revealed in theaters. Nevertheless, Neon has once again flexed its skills in viral marketing as it promotes the terror and mystery of Shelby Oaks with multiple creepy posters online.

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Though this horror film is made by a new director, it has generated plenty of hype. Shelby Oaks had a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign in 2022 to fund its production. Having reportedly amᴀssed nearly six times its campaign goal with around $1.4 million, Shelby Oaks has established itself as a highly anticipated indie film among Stuckmann’s millions of fans.

Also, since the film was screened at the Fantasia International Film Festival in July 2024, Shelby Oaks has received an impressive 81% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The trailer thus shared some of the positive reviews that critics have given the film. In particular, Slashfilm has heralded Stuckmann as “one of the most promising new voices in horror,” which should attract fans of the genre to see it in theaters.

With the support of Flanagan, Neon, and fans, Shelby Oaks could have a successful, record-breaking run in theaters similar to Longlegs, given the film’s reportedly low budget of almost $3 million. As a result, Chris Stuckmann’s scary new pᴀssion project could become the biggest sleeper hit of 2025.