Gale: Yellow Brick Road

Gale: Yellow Brick Road is a 2026 British independent horror fantasy film^[3] written and directed by Daniel Alexander in his directorial debut^[4] co-written by Matthew R. Ford. The film is a horror reimagining of L. Frank Baum's children fantasy novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.^[5] It stars Chloë Crump, Laura Kay Bailey and Karen Swan. The film is about Emily and her grandmother Dorothy who always warned her about the danger of the place called Oz.^[6]

A troubled artist named Emily Gale has been experiencing reoccurring nightmares involving her grandmother and a mysterious woman named Dorothy. Due to her fascination with these nightmares, she ends up isolating herself from the world, drawing imagery from her dreams.

One day, she discovers a journal that seemingly belonged to her mother. The journal contains various sketches of a magical realm called Oz, along with a phone number for a mental institution. Fascinated by the discovery, Emily goes to the mental institution to potentially discover what happened to her mother and to find answers about her family's past.

However, after confronting the sinister head of the institution, a sudden thunderstorm forces Emily to stay inside the asylum. Overtime, the lines between reality and fantasy start to blur as she starts to discover she has a dangerous connection with Dorothy and Oz.

• Chloë Crump as Emily Gale^[7]
• Laura Kay Bailey
• Hassan Taj as Munchkin
• Karen Swan as Dorothy Gale
• Rachel Hassett as Evil Woman
• Dara Abasuté as Linda
• Sarah Feltham as Patches
• H.C.A. Taylor^[8]
• Vivien Weigand as Young Emily Gale^[9]

The film is directed by Daniel Alexander in his first feature film.^[10] The film stars Chloë Crump, Laura Kay Bailey, Hassan Taj, Rachel Hassett, Dara Abasuté, Karen Swan, H.C.A. Taylor and Sarah Feltham.^[11] On November, 2025, Fathom Entertainment announced the film and the release date of it.^[4][12]

The film had a one day theatrical release on February 11, 2026, under Fathom Entertainment.^[3][13][14]

Bobby LePire from Film Threat gave a generally positive review of the film's ambition and its attempts at bucking the trend of low budget 'slasher' expectations, saying: "Gale: Yellow Brick Road is flawed. There are a number of jump scares, the finale feels a bit disjointed, and the cast is a mixed bag. But in lieu of gore for its own sake, Alexander puts the terror of the unknown and being scared of yourself at the forefront. Crump cuts a dynamic, sympathetic lead, believably running the gamut of emotions with heart and determination. Plus, the camera moves and the practical effects are top-tier, helping sell the movie's unique atmosphere. Overall, this is a strong feature debut for Alexander and (writer) Ford.^[15]

Grant Hermanns of Screen Rant gave the film a negative review and a 2 out of 10 rating and wrote: The creepy imagery in the first act improperly sells just how dull the movie ultimately ends up being for the majority of its overlong runtime, and while its snail-like pacing and lackluster acting fail to make its psychological themes land with anything more than a mute thud.^[16]

Paul Lê of Bloody Disgusting gave the film a rating of 2/5 and he wrote: It is too overwhelming and weighs on everything. The lack of cool-downs and breathers, plus the hasty pacing, indeed ensures this film is as nightmarish as possible; however, in the long run, not much of this nightmare will probably be remembered once it is over.^[17]

Kevin Taft of We Live Entertainment gave the film a rating of 4 out of 5 saying: Alexander and co-writer Matthew R. Ford have crafted an unusual, horror-inflected take on Oz, leaning into mood, trauma, and fractured memory rather than whimsy. It's familiar, but refracted through grief and unease. As an indie production, the film stretches its scope impressively without ever fully pulling back the curtain. Visually, it looks more expensive than it likely was.^[18]

• Gale: Yellow Brick Road at IMDb