YellowBrickRoad

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.

OK, seriously, i just took the time to register JUST so i could post my review on this movie...from start until about 1 hour and 10 minutes into the movie it was great...really really great...these guys did an extremely good job staying on budget for this film...their mix of strange sound and cinematic views created a great suspenseful atmosphere...up until 1 hour 10 minutes the movie, in my humble opinion, is an 8...good movie...

HOWEVER...the ending is SO terrible that it actually brought my rating to a 3...i see other comments equating the Lynch-style ending to this movie but i have to disagree...

the ending is so muddied that the viewer feels robbed..the whole..."i just sat through this super-great movie to see it end like that???"...so cheap and open was the ending that it cant even be genre-ized...and i agree with other posters...it definitely stays with you...but not in a good way...in an annoying way...TOO many unanswered questions and plot holes...its not a tragedy...its not EXACTLY a horror...not TOO suspenseful..just.........weak..

bottom line..prepare for disappointment...

I found YellowBrickRoad to be deeply unsettling, like a nightmare that tugged at something deep inside me. This is definitely a slow, mostly subtle horror film, and not for everyone, but I found it better than most that I've seen. This was a surreal, disturbing experience that took a group of ordinary people in a pretty ordinary setting and situation, and gradually morphed it into an anxious world without reliable reference frame in which we're not sure what is real. If I like a movie, and I did like this one, I tend to strongly empathize with the characters and their situation, and I found myself feeling the anxiety of questioning reality and my own grasp of it. Shortly after watching the film I went to sleep and proceeded to have what seemed like hours of dream obviously derived from the movie.

Comparable films are "The Blair Witch Project" (the original one--for obvious reasons when you see this one) and "Session 9" for the slow, character-driven build and growing sense of dread.

Yes, there was one plot detail which strained credibility, was a little distracting, and I think could've been easily avoided, but I was willing to overlook that given that otherwise the overall experience worked for me. Regarding the ending, I know many posting here found it unsatisfying. I feel strongly about endings and usually like them to be clear and unambiguous, and I liked the ending of this film. Having said that, I understand why some would not like the ending, but it made sense to me and sealed the horror of the story.

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.