Shelby Oaks ending explained: What happens to Mia and the Demon in the end?

Shelby Oaks was released theatrically in the United States by Neon on October 24, 2025. This supernatural horror film was written and directed by Chris Stuckmann. 

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Shelby Oaks. Readers’ discretion is advised.

The film is about a woman named Mia (Camille Sullivan) who is determined to find out what happened to her sister Riley. Riley disappeared while looking into Shelby Oaks, a town that people say is haunted. As soon as Mia finds new video evidence that Riley is still alive, she goes back to town to try to save her sister.

The ending of the movie gives answers about what happened to Riley with a much darker twist. Mia's need to save Riley becomes so strong that it leads her into the hands of a much stronger evil force than she thought. 

What Happens to Riley Brennan in Shelby Oaks

Riley Brennan's going missing is a big part of the story of Shelby Oaks. She and her sister Mia were on a viral team called the "Paranormal Paranoids" that looked into ghosts. Riley disappeared because of the team's investigations, especially in the ghost town of Shelby Oaks. Mia gets new video footage that makes her think Riley might still be alive after years of looking for her. Mia goes back to Shelby Oaks to look into things more because she needs answers badly.

While Mia is looking for Riley, she learns some scary things about the town's past and the ghost that has been haunting it. As Mia puts the pieces together of what happened, she realizes that Riley wasn't just hurt by a ghostly force, but by a much darker being called Tario. The tragic ending that happens in the last act is set off by this realization.

How does Mia’s descent into obsession unfold

Mia investigates Shelby Oaks with hope and duty, but it becomes obsessive. Her investigation of Wilson Miles, who shot himself in front of her while possessed by the demon, is extensive. Wilson's connection to Shelby Oaks' dark past is crucial to Riley's fate.

Mia learns Wilson spent years in Darke County Prison, where Riley filmed a paranormal encounter. From here, Mia's quest becomes supernatural. She fights hellhounds, investigates an abandoned prison, and finds Norma's cabin, Wilson's mother and the demon's servant. Mia discovers the demon is using Riley and her family for a dark ritual inside the cabin.

Tario, the demon, exploits lines and desires to gain power over the townspeople. Shelby Oaks was cursed by Tario, not time. Mia's already dangerous journey is heightened by this revelation.

What is discovered in Norma’s Cabin

Mia investigates Norma's home and discovers the demon's full power. Mia finds Riley imprisoned, malnourished, and demon-possessed in the basement. Mia feels she is finally saving her sister, but the discovery is horrifying and bittersweet. Although Norma has been performing dark rituals for the demon, she remains a threat.

Mia discovers that Wilson, the demon's puppet, had repeatedly assaulted Riley as she tried to free her. Mia thinks the baby born from these horrible acts will break the curse. Mia flees with the baby after Norma sacrifices herself in a final ritual, thinking she saved something pure from evil.

What are the Demon’s true intentions in Shelby Oaks

Shelby Oaks goes in a sad direction near the end of the movie. Mia's emotional problems, especially her inability to have children, become more obvious as she bonds with the baby she saved. The pain of infertility had been with Mia and her partner Richard for a long time. The empty crib in their home represents their failed attempts to have a child. The thing that brings Mia down in the end is her fixation on the baby, whom she thinks is a miracle.

However, the demon's real goals become clear. The demon that haunts Shelby Oaks, Tario, never wanted Riley. It always had Mia in mind. She had been watched by the demon since she was a child, and its plan was to use her as a vessel. When Mia learns this, the line between redemption and ruin becomes less clear, because her strong desire for a child makes her an ideal target for the demon's possession.

As Riley tries to kill the baby, the hellhounds attack and kill her. The demon then claims Mia as its new vessel. Norma was the first person to become corrupted, and Mia follows suit. She gives up her family and her humanity to do what the demon wants.

What happens to Riley Brennan at the End of Shelby Oaks

Riley’s fate in Shelby Oaks is a tragic one. Riley's attempt to escape is unsuccessful after she is captured and forced to go through horrifying rituals. She tried to hurt the baby Mia had saved, so the hellhounds killed her. The brutal way she died brings out the dark tone of the movie, where characters are stuck in terrible situations with no way out.

Shelby Oaks is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.