Le Chemin Sans Retour

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.

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.

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.