User reviews

I watched this film when I was sick with bronchitis. I was glued to the couch, coughing and hacking, watching this movie and wondering if I was hallucinating, or if the movie was really this freaking weird. The answer is a resounding 'yes.' This movie really is extremely weird.

YellowBrickRoad is an assault on the senses, and I believe that was completely intentional. The visuals, the characters' reactions, the never-ending path, the hopelessness, the desperation, the cacophonous sounds-- all of these things created a unique and subtly terrifying environment. That said, I didn't necessarily find the movie scary, but I did find myself thinking about it for a few days after watching it.

But, I wanted to like the movie more. I wanted more substance. I love movies with an pseudo-historical backdrop, and I wanted to know more about the town's former inhabitants and the path. I guess I wanted a bit more investigation and a bit less acid trip. Yet, I was left with the impression that the semblance of an acid trip was the writers' and director's intention.

So, if you keep the film within its hallucinatory context of a deconstructed and wholly disturbing reality, you might glean some enjoyment out of it. Don't expect your typical horror fare, though, because this is a strangely unique plate that almost borders on experimental.

I'm divided about this movie, which is reflected in my rating. It has very intense moments, but it's not always able to sustain the tension. Sometimes the intensity borders on the annoying, sometimes it crumbles into boredom. None of the characters grew on me and in my opinion the ending is unsatisfying and badly executed. On the other hand I witnessed some really good performances from some of the actors. The overall atmosphere is dense and maintained during the movie. The storytelling avoids explanations and therefore is unnerving the spectator - in a positive way if you are in it for the chill factor. Don't expect this movie to be gory since it is not - blood is flowing, but in a mere matter-of- fact way. It's not trying to weave in vengeful ghosts, lost souls and other quasi religious ideas, which in my opinion get employed to perpetrate the idea of possible redemption. It tells the story of existence being hell with no possible exit since we are its prisoners and its creators. The movie stuck with me long after I watched it and it make me think - that's worth a solid 6 points.

In 1940, the residents of a sleepy New England town walked along a trail called Yellowbrick Road, leaving behind their possessions. Some were found frozen, others mysteriously and horribly mutilated. There was one survivor. 70 Years later and the documents surrounding the case have been declassified. Armed with the case files, a crew of nine civilians resolve to set out along the trail, to find out what happened to the earlier inhabitants once and for all...

YellowBrickRoad has a GREAT concept and tries to put an innovative spin on the lost in the forest "subgenre". (if such a thing exists). Part mockumentary, part straight horror, it's certainly ambitious.

However, I gotta say... I just plain hated this film. I thought the execution sucked, and found it nonsensical, boring, unscary, frustrating and very very annoying. It has an "assault on the senses" segment, as noted by another reviewer on this page, that literally had me gritting my teeth, and I personally wondered if they put it in to prevent me falling asleep from boredom, as it's a very jarring sequence. It also has an unintentionally hilarious reaction from the performers, who act like the crew of the original Star Trek when hit by a Klingon torpedo or something. The conclusion is jaw droppingly ludicrous, weak and feels tacked on for the sake of it. It would be right at home on a Scary Door episode from Futurama, it's that ridiculous and silly.

So, yeah... I really disliked it and found it an incoherent mess and a very disappointing film.

BUT... I'm in the severe minority here, apparently. I caught this at Dead By Dawn 2011 and it went down quite well with the audience, with most seeming to love it, or at least like it, including the party I went with. (I was the one dissenter in our group) So, based on the audience reaction, I'm gonna say that this is very much a personal opinion here. It's basically kinda similar to Session 9, (in terms of atmosphere) only in a forest, and I'm one of the apparently few horror fans who was totally non-plussed by Session 9, while most like that one also, so anyone who likes Session 9, should like this.

3/10 from me. It just thoroughly annoyed and bored me from start to finish. That having said, based on audience reaction at Dead By Dawn, I'm actually gonna recommend fans to check it out, as it'll probably go down quite well with you. Just wasn't my cuppa tea at all though.

For the first 70 minutes of this film, I thought I had found my new favourite horror movie. There are sequences here that will take your breath away - IF you are a fan of true psychological horror and not the mainstream CGI crap that hits the multiplexes. The concept is fascinating, and the set-up is superb. The sound design of this film is flawless, and has one of the best uses of music I have ever experienced. The music... it's skin-crawling, and is almost a character in the movie. Likewise, the violence and gore. Very underplayed, timed well and not gratuitous. But when it hits, it's incredibly effective.

But then something goes awry. The plot becomes muddled and almost self-important, the actions of the characters don't really add up... it almost feels like a different film than the intense, slow-burn of the first two acts. It reminded me of 'Insidious' in this regard; incredibly good for the first two thirds then becomes too hokey in its final reel.

It's a shame, because this had the potential to be a genre classic. As it is, the unconvincing third act makes this an effective but ultimately unsatisfying film.

The movie begins with an interesting plot: in 1940 an entire village population left their houses to follow a trail for an unknown reason. Several were found dead, slaughtered, others were never seen again.

Years later, some researchers finally found the trail that was hidden from the public, for some reason.

Then, the movie collapses. The dialog is not interesting (mediocre at its best), the characters lack any background or are poorly interpreted and, due to amateurish writing, the premise is lost. There is no real horror or psychological terror, and in the end no explanation to why the people went there, why they disappeared or what is the yellow brick road.

Any attempt to find some meaning underline, is just wasting time because there is no subtext. They just destroyed what could have been a good movie.

Just want to say that the other guy who reviewed this movie, most belong to the staff of the movie, because giving this movie 10\10 is just wrong. This script should have been worked by professional people, not amateurs. Oh well, anyway, good try, i hope they learned through this (huge) mistake.

2 out of 10.

The movie has such an interesting premise - an entire town hikes into the mountains and the people are never heard from again. Years later, an expedition retraces the steps of the town-folk to find out what happened. To me, it sounded like good ghost story with mystery and suspense to hold the viewer's attention. Unfortunately, the acting is pretty bad & just not convincing. Bad acting is hard to watch - it's like the viewer has to work harder to suspend disbelief. Plus, the characters all look like one another - they are all white people with brown hair dressed in outdoor gear in neutral tones. I couldn't tell one from the other. None of the characters is particularly relatable or likeable - they all come across as flat and interchangeable so as a viewer, you are not invested in any of them. None of them had any "personality". Then, once they hike into the woods, from my perspective, nothing remotely interesting happens. It wasn't spooky or creepy. I paid to view this movie - If you really want to watch, at least wait until you get it for "free" on a streaming service you already subscribe to. It's definitely not worth spending extra money to watch. 4/10.

The plot: In the 1940s, an entire town inexplicably follows a path into the wilds of New Hampshire, where they find death and madness. Later, a modern day team of researchers seek to discover what really happened.

YellowBrickRoad is one of the best "flawed but interesting" horror movies I've seen in a while. It's frustrating to many viewers, because it seemingly promises one set of genre conventions (such as a slasher or scifi thriller), yet delivers something radically different (more akin to the Blair Witch Project, without the "found footage" gimmick). YBR is very subtle -- perhaps too subtle. Many questions are never explicitly answered, because the writers apparently find the questions irrelevant or unimportant. Instead, it focuses on subtle themes, which hint at vague answers. If this sounds frustrating, then I'd avoid YBR. It might take multiple viewings to make much sense of this movie.

YBR is a pastiche of rather obvious influences, chiefly the Blair Witch Project and 60s/70s horror. It will also probably appeal to fans of Lovecraft, given the themes of unknowable evil, the frailty of sanity and civilization, and the danger of obsessively searching for answers to unanswerable questions. Fans of modern horror franchises, such as Saw or Hostel, will probably be bored.

Very pleasantly surprised. I fell very quickly for the characters, the cinematography was smooth, not overbearing and acceptable in its plausibility,.. I quite frankly fell into the story as well and was curious to see where it led. The use of Audio as the great antagonist was jaw dropping impressive. Mix that with the camera work to accompany the Audio and you can almost feel the event.

However, if semi-open endings trouble you then it may leave a sour taste but where it finally led was to a scene that is most memorable in psychological thriller endings.

Well done.

In 1940, almost the entire population of a town in New Hampshire mysteriously leave their homes, their belongings and even their pets, and head north along a trail into the dense wilderness. The corpses of those discovered are the only trace of what might have happened to the people of Friar. Many years later, Teddy Barnes and a team of researchers, pathfinders, historians and psychologists decide to follow the same trail and uncover the mystery of what happened in 1940. But what waits for them at the end of the trail - and will they survive to reach it?

I know what you're thinking. This is a movie about a group of people who, whilst following a mysterious trail through the wilderness in search of answers, begin to perish. It therefore must involve masked killers or mutated bears, right? Actually, no. "YellowBrickRoad" takes its inspiration from some of the classic older horror movies – such as "The Shining", "Deliverance" and the original version of "The Wicker Man" – and, instead of aiming purely for the eyes of the audience, it also aims for the mind. This is a slow-burning psychological horror filled with sights and sounds which get under your skin and worm their way into your brain; just as they do with the characters themselves.

That's not to say that there isn't gore or violence in "YellowBrickRoad". There are several scenes involving terrible, bloody things happening to people, but the film-makers shoot those scenes in a way that forces the audience to let their imaginations run rampant and fill in the gaps. It's not really these death scenes that will stick with you after the movie has ended, though. It's the way that "YellowBrickRoad" forces you to watch as the seemingly well-adjusted individuals to whom you're introduced at the beginning rapidly drift into insanity, rage, loneliness, brutality and utter confusion as the rules of reality change around them.

For a good portion of its running time, "YellowBrickRoad" is a creepy and unsettling story that fully preys upon our fear of the unknown. Without resorting to cheap scares, the movie accurately portrays how a group of people might act if they took too many steps northward and suddenly found themselves in the Twilight Zone. All of the main actors do a fine job and, despite working with an obviously limited budget, the directors utilise sound, along with moody, lonesome cinematography and the rustic setting to create a tense and spooky atmosphere.

Some may have a problem with the ending which perhaps veers a bit too closely into David Lynch territory, but I found it to be an interesting and apt way of closing the movie. For those who are fans of horror cinema, such as "Session 9" or "The Shining", in which the protagonists are confronted with something unknown and terrible that slowly burns away at their sanity and willpower, this may be close to essential viewing for you.

This one was a mixed bag for me. Overall it was generally an entertaining experience, I just wish they had pushed it a little more. If you are someone that has to have answers in a plot this one is not for you. Also if you become impatient with slow burns, I would avoid.

However, this one is a bit of an indi gem in a lot of ways. While the plot had some interesting and intriguing moments but I would say the best part about this one was the acting. There were some great moments and monologues and I was pleased to see Alex Draper as I am a fan of his.

I was teetering between a 5 and a 6 and unfortunately the ending tipped it to a 5. It felt quite unfulfilling and a bit like a copout. But I wouldn't let that deter you from viewing this, especially if you are a fan of indi cinema. I would recommend.

The first thing that comes to mind, for me, and many others that watched Yellow Brick Road is it's similarity to the old and great Russian film masterpiece "Stalker".

The premise of the film in Andrei Tarkovsky's Stalker is very similar to the principle and initial concept to Yellow Brick Road, which is a trip into a mysterious "Zone" where the land and directions are twisted by dreaded anomalies in physics.

More so, the idea that all your answers could be found at the end of the road is not necessarily derived from the film "Wizard of OZ" as implied, but more so from the same premise of the film and book "Stalker" to which a room of sorts at the end of the journey can grant you your wishes and desires.

Yellow Brick Road not only has many of Stalker's principle concepts, but also the low-brush feel of the abandoned terrain as well, though Stalker, even in it's much older date, is cinematically far superior.

Yellow Brick Road is clearly influenced by such great psychological films such as Stalker & The Shining. (And far less by The Blair Witch Project to which it is too often compared to) And, in tow, it too, has a slow-burn, being a fine film that very gradually introduces you to the horror aspects of its plot.

So, if you're not patient, don't sit this one out. However if you are, you'll be pleased by the complexity and excellent execution of the film's mysteriously poised premise and interpretations.

Still, Yellow Brick Road departs from the Stalker recipe and moves into its own original motives, which are hunkered down by eerie yet sometimes, annoying horror motifs.

At times, this film seems torn between a science fiction theme and a horror one, and adds in a purposeful sense of mystery to it, with no intention of ever explaining the end.

The ending, in of itself, was clearly made with NO real definition; meaning that it was purposefully created to be interpreted differently by individual viewers. It is not a fixed or solidly explained ending, nor hints at any "credible" revelation either.

This is NOT a spoiler, but a simple warning that viewers will either love the surreal twist, or hate what's left to be personally interpreted.

Unlike newer and similar films with Hitch-And-Twist endings, such as "Vanishing On 7th Street", Yellow Brick Road leaves no hints at its lasting intention, other than portraying some of its characters as reaching a possible hellish demise.

Still, Yellow Brick Road is a rich and imaginative horror film that uniquely uses music and sheer creepiness to stir up much psychological scare tactics. It's also run on a small budget with actors of less than high caliber. However this does not take away from the strong performances and overall high quality of the movie.

If you like bizarre films and movies with a bit of a "Silent Hill" or "The Shinning" effect, this one is for you.

I seriously don't understand you individuals rating this as a great horror film. I guess you think you are being artsy, enlightened and with greater vision than most of us..........because your descriptions and opinions on this movie are really half-baked.

Good lord some people seem to love really bad movies.

I am going to try to be a common friend for the good of your sanity and encourage you to hunt down all copies of this movie and burn them.

This is a god-awful film from start to finish, with stone-faced acting, an absolutely ridiculous plot and ending, and it's just pure annoying.

In short, this film sucks so hard it could take the chrome off a trailer hitch.

I was really looking forward to seeing this film as an avid horror film fan but I was extremely disappointed. It definitely isn't a horror film as there is no suspense build up or much of a story line at all. The whole movie was terrible and I don't know how some people have rated it so high unless they worked on the film! The ending was also awful with no real explanation of why any of if had happened. I wish that I hadn't bothered watching it. I didn't like any of the characters that much as you weren't given any background information on them and none of them had ant real personality to relate to they were all pretty boring. Definitely needed to explain the storyline better as it never actually said what was behind it all.

Bit of a mix between Lost and The Shining, I really enjoyed this actually. In fact I love it when I find a really low scoring film on IMDb that I enjoy! Quite creepy, incredible sounds / score, especially the constant old style music that plays incessantly through the woods, driving the characters insane.

Quite light in gore (no bad thing) but the few scenes there are are fairly shocking, especially the one seen from a distance, which was pretty chilling.

If I had to choose between Saw, Scream (any) or this, I would choose this any day.

Oh yeah I mentioned the sound already but its really good. Very atmospheric.

Been googling for 'meaning behind the film' type stuff since the DVD stopped, and that in my opinion is what a decent horror should make you do.

I am sure I am going to get flak for this, but I liked this movie.

I picked it up on Netflix meaning my expectations were quite low. As a cheeky little horror this did OK.

In the 1930's the entire population of a small town in 'no-where' USA took a walk down an isolated mountain trail and didn't come back. No one ever found them. A documentary crew decide to see if they can find what happened to them.

Anyone who has ever seen a horror movie will not be overly surprised what occurs next. The cast is good, the tension is cranked up notch by notch. The film uses some very effective devices so - when it all hits the fan and they realise they are dealing with more than an angry bear - the movie stays grounded. I did find this scary in places, the desolate, wide open trails and shadowy, densely packed woodlands become lonely and menacing.

The production runs hot and cold. There is one shot with some extremely amateur effects that destroys the film, and could have been better handled left off screen. Yet a sequence depicting the characters being hit by sonic blasts is very effective and harrowing.

The ending is a bit ambiguous. In all, not super, but for a Netflix movie I quite liked it.