SHUCKS is an award-winning short film that has won numerous awards at the “Independent Shorts Awards”, and been selected at the “Rome Independent Prisma Awards” and “The Lift-Off Sessions”.
Despite being released in 2017, the film recently made its Hollywood premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatres, bringing cause to celebrate it, once again.
As a Mightier Than The Sword Records (well-known for producing works such as A Night in Charlotte with Sweeney Ty, Beautiful Fight, and At A Distance aka 7th Sirkle) production, the film stars Austin Rich (best known for roles in Grieving Process (2018) and Meng Hua Lu (2018) - as well as the stuntman for this film), Ty Brueilly (boasting a rich filmography with numerous credits), Megan Brueilly (also known for the aforementioned films and a crucial part of the set and costume design for SHUCKS), and Koba Brueilly (who also acted in Meng Hua Lu).
This silent but scored experimental film, filmed in Asheboro, North Carolina, is intentionally unpolished but equal parts symbolic as it calls viewers to think actively about its profound message. It does this starting from the opening scene.
As we ‘drove’ down the vast road and maneuvered into the follow-up scenes, our first impression of the film was, “Wow, this is abstract,” but in the best way possible. SHUCKS is a film that we reckon will find many filmmakers and film enthusiasts in a similar space to what we were in when we watched it. Sick of the mainstream, sick of the Oscar-baity so-called arthouse cinema, looking for something
authentic, and wanting to think about an actual film again. If that sounds anything like your current mood surrounding the cinematic landscape, then you’ve come to the right review article to hype you up for an epic viewing experience.
You can check out the 2025 SHUCKS film trailer below for a teaser and to help you better understand the rest of our review (if you’re reading this before committing to watching the film).
We have to disclaim, however, this review does contain slight spoilers. We tried to write it without them, but we couldn’t contain ourselves and just opted to share the artistic vision of this film, all things considered. Now, less about us and more about SHUCKS, because it certainly made us say ‘shucks’ too.
First, despite the pun we have made, the meaning of ‘shucks’ as the title, doesn’t actually come from the exclamation but, in fact, the act of shucking. It immediately promises what the film will be and not only what it will be about. SHUCKS is a layered film, unraveling at the seams on a journey of self-discovery for our protagonist; whether he likes the outcome or not.
Symbolism is hidden behind several acts in the film, for example, in the act of slaughtering or chopping corn with a long axe as opposed to cutting it with a generic knife or breaking it with one’s hands. It’s this type of imagery that you are met with and the film’s first impression is what defines abstract art cinema.
The film does a great job in drawing out our intrigue as we continue to learn about the mysterious creature that is privy to the sacrificial corn. This can partially be credited to the film's avant-garde aesthetic, as well. With a monochromatic color grade and a gritty and grungy aesthetic, SHUCKS shies away from anything polished and is unrelenting about how gritty it is. The high contrast black-and-white brings back the fundamentals of cinema, allowing us to once again dance between two opposites, light and dark, desire and reality.
Despite being a silent film, the movie’s sound design and scoring lack nothing. The shift in music from hard EDM to a mellow melody with piano notes as our protagonist suits up, followed by the switch up once they have adorned their mask, is the stuff that quality film sound design is made of. We get to do a tango on the border of suspense and realization thanks to the upbeat but somewhat foreboding nature of the EDM bass, which pulls us into the sweet caress of softness that juxtaposes all of the underlying sinisterness of the narrative.
As a silent film, the score plays a vital role in not only delivering compelling storytelling, but also edging us on to want to find out more. Ranging from our corn conundrum to our epiphany moments, the SHUCKS film takes sound design and scoring as seriously as a heart attack, and as viewers, we are grateful for its sincerity in effort.
Speaking of sound design, we have to applaud the bold courage of this film for taking on being a silent film in an era where this filmmaking niche has almost come to extinction. It is a wonderful feat to be able to deliver a narrative without relying on so many of the audio conveniences that modern film technology puts at easy disposal. The production team did a terrific job at achieving this level of storytelling during a time where shortened attention spans have begun to affect the way we consume films - but that’s a topic for another day as our praises are not over yet.
Additionally, SHUCKS boasted detailed costume design and SFX makeup too, allowing each to be fully showcased in scenes in which the key points could be fully appreciated down to every frightening crevice. Whilst the creatures (not the critters - but that was also an interesting choice of contrasting motifs) were all equally disturbing as the next; we have to give a shoutout to the corn (that’s what we’ll refer to them as for the sake of not spoiling the fun). This was one of the most detailed costume designs/SFX makeup attempts we have seen in an indie film in a long time. That, along with the general intricacy when it comes to visual details, is a rare sight to see in modern cinema as viewers are so addicted to dopamine CG filled shots that don’t give the hours of design put into these efforts the proper light of day.
Of course, to tie everything together, this review would be incomplete without dedicating a paragraph to Ty Brueilly himself. Not only did Brueilly write, direct, and act in SHUCKS–you can also tell that he poured his soul into the production. This is the type of film that immediately screams ‘passion project’ and we can only imagine the effort that went into bringing it to global screens. His other contributions to the film include cinematography, executive producing, art direction, composing, and even editing. Brueilly is a multi-talented facet to the film which boasts the richness of his all-overseeing attention to detail.
Rightfully so, the film has been gaining rave reviews from anyone who has watched it, sighting how groundbreaking it is as a genre rarity among common film trends.
“Some films tell a story, some entertain, and then there’s that SHUCKS - a 50-minute silent, black-and-white fever dream that pulls you into its strange, unsettling world without a single spoken word… this film is less of a traditional narrative and more of an experience, one that lingers in your mind long after the credits roll.” - fan of SHUCKS film
This fan could not have hit the nail harder on the head as SHUCKS truly leaves a lasting impression. Be it one that is hard to digest for some viewers who are more inclined to cookie cutter cinema, or one that scratches the particular itch of an indie film lover, SHUCKS is a film that succeeds in getting the viewer thinking, questioning their perspective, and remembering the film’s simultaneously black-and-white but unfiltered aesthetic and symbolism.
“People may find this film unsettling at first, but they will gradually like the blend of ideas, music, and abstract inventiveness. We all see conventional movies and short films, but Ty Brueilly’s film “SHUCKS” is something special; it’s unique.” - fan of SHUCKS film
As much as we 100% agree with this fan, as well, for the sake of authenticity, we have to keep this review honest. Even in a world with so many filmmakers, there is no perfect film and as much as we have praised SHUCKS, we cannot ignore one of its flaws. Fret not because it’s not that serious. However, our only tiny gripe with SHUCKS as a piece of cinema is that it has a misleading genre tag. When reading up on the film before watching it, the IMDb page clearly classified the film as a horror, however, there were no scary moments. It was sinister, mysterious, and clearly disturbing–yes. But, there was no ‘scare factor’ and we think it can be classified as a thriller at best.
Our fear (pun intended) is that if someone had to read about the film first instead of simply watching it, their expectation of a ‘horror’ might lead to disappointment. If you consider the film as a psychological thriller or suspense film from the jump, then we reckon that the viewing experience and your perspective will also improve significantly.
This tiny grip aside, SHUCKS is a film that we definitely recommend if you are into all things experimental. It is a breath of fresh air if you have been bombarded by fake arthouse cinema or even the never-ending inflow of cookie cutter mainstream cinema in the past few years.
SHUCKS brings back critical thinking when it comes to film symbolism and abstract cinema, and is a production that we reckon showcases the potential of writer and director Brueilly to be the next experimental film legend.
To get a better idea of the film’s vision for yourself, you can stream the full-length SHUCKS for free below.
What did you think of the film SHUCKS? Let us know in the comments!
