Sarah Durn on NEON's 'Shelby Oaks,' and Stepping Into the Spotlight

With a string of impressive credits already under her belt, actress Sarah Durn is poised for her breakout moment. This fall, she took center stage in NEON’s highly anticipated horror thriller Shelby Oaks, which hit theaters October 24, 2025. Durn delivers a haunting performance as character Riley Brennan, that anchors the film’s terror in real emotion. Following acclaimed screenings at Fantasia and FrightFest, Shelby Oaks has already sparked early buzz for its atmosphere and Durn’s layered, magnetic portrayal.

Read below to catch up with Durn to talk about embodying Riley, exploring the film’s eerie world, and what comes next for one of horror’s most exciting new voices.

Photo Credit: Ansh Vohra

NUOVO: Congratulations on your lead role in Shelby Oaks! How did you prepare to embody a character like Riley Brennan? 

SARAH DURN: Thank you! I love Riley. She’s brave, intelligent, and really thoughtful. She never gives up, even when she finds herself in the darkest of places. Acting, to me, is really about inhabiting another person’s world, and imagining their circumstances as your own. Portraying Riley, or any character, requires a deep sense of empathy. It’s a process of adjusting your personality—amplifying some aspects of yourself and quieting others, to find the truth of who she is.

NUOVO: Is there a particular moment or scene that felt especially challenging or meaningful for you as an actor?

SD: There was one moment when we were shooting at the Mansfield Reformatory, the same place where The Shawshank Redemption was filmed. Shawshank’s a movie I watched growing up, and it still means a lot to me. So to be there, making our film in the same space where Tom Hanks and Morgan Freeman once stood, was pretty surreal. The scene we shot there was a challenging one. Maybe part of me was channeling a bit of inspiration from Shawshank—from Tom, Morgan, and the history that still lingers in those halls—to shoot that scene.

NUOVO: With such an emotionally charged film, how did you stay grounded, unwind, or practice self-care after filming? 

SD: I was a little nervous about stepping into some of Riley’s darker moments. She really goes through it! I worked with my acting teacher, Ken Schatz, who helped me transition in and out of those intense emotional moments. 

I love what I get to do as an actor, and part of that is enjoying the energy on set and having fun with the cast and crew. Finding that balance between giving everything to a scene and then being able to step away, reset, and return to myself was key. My acting teacher used to say that one of the most valuable skills an actor develops is the ability to compartmentalize emotions, going deep into a role but also knowing when to come back up for air.

NUOVO: You’ve built such an exciting career across a variety of genres. How does leading Shelby Oaks feel like the next chapter for you as an artist? 

SD: Thank you for this question—it truly does feel like the next chapter and it’s very exciting. There’s a lot of uncertainty in my life right now since I haven’t really done this before. I’ve never been the lead in a NEON movie. It’s all pretty surreal, and I’m just trying to embrace the moment and take it one step at a time. I’m so grateful to Chris Struckmann, Aaron B. Koontz, Cameron Burns, Ashleigh Snead, and everyone at Paper Street Productions. I’m incredibly thankful they brought me along on this crazy journey, and it’s really rewarding to see audiences get so excited to finally see Shelby Oaks. 

NUOVO: Do you have any advice for the next generation of artists, looking to break into new genres or roles outside their comfort zone? 

SD: One thing that’s really helped me stay grounded is having friends outside the industry. A career in the arts can be a wild ride, so having people who keep you centered and remind you of what matters most is incredibly special.