The Yards

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The Yards

R,

2000,

1h 55m,

Crime/

Drama

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Watchlist

65%

95 Reviews

Tomatometer

51%

5,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

65%

Tomatometer

95 Reviews

51%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

After serving time in prison for taking the fall for a group of his friends, Leo just wants to get his life back on track. So he goes to the one place he thinks will be safe -- home. There he takes a new job with his highly connected and influential uncle. But in the yards, where his uncle now pulls the strings, safe is not how they do business. Unwittingly, he's drawn into a world of sabotage, high stakes payoffs and even murder.

Critics Consensus

Featuring strong performances and direction, The Yards is a richly textured crime thriller with an authentic feel.

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Jun 28, 2021

The tangle of family, business, and crime, with its resulting loyalties and betrayals, is the volatile stuff of which the drama is made.

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Todd McCarthy

Variety

Aug 5, 2008

An On the Waterfront wannabe, directed with a heavy portentousness that smothers the drama in a thick sauce of self-importance.

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Andrew Sarris

Observer

Apr 27, 2007

I can't remember when a film so well-acted and so well-rendered visually was also so oppressive to sit through.

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A.S. Hamrah

The Baffler

Sep 16, 2020

The outer boroughs in James Gray's New York are forlorn, and The Yards is a lament for a good-hearted white loser...

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Antonia Quirke

Independent on Sunday

Nov 28, 2017

It has a terrific subject, an unimprovable cast and a trio of trustworthy, even hip, producers. And no life.

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Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

Dec 15, 2010

3.5/4

How "The Yards" shifts toward crime drama through character rather than pure plot is hard to disclose without divesting twists. Inspired by real-life scandal, James Gray lets personal insight color Shakespearean shenanigans of privilege, panic and power.

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Han W

Feb 24, 2019

A gritty crime thriller that tells a story of corruption in the New York public transit industry. With a stoic Mark Wahlberg in the lead role and a flawless performance by Joaquin Phoenix as Willie the movie is an entertaining albeit stereotypical crime drama. The characters seem real, relatable and emotionally invest the viewer in the story. That being said the romantic tension between Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Therons characters seemed unnecessary and distracts from the main plot. The film makes great use of lighting and urban environment to highlight dramatic elements; you can tell a-lot of thought and attention to detail was put into the shot composition. Intense moments are paired with shadows, flickering lights and sonic dissonance of train breaks or police sirens but silence is also used effectively to create dramatic tension. Another detracting detail in my opinion is a plot hole during the hospital scene: If these guys are throwing all this money around to bribe and intimidate people couldn't the have spent a little dough on a silencer for Marky Marks gun in order to kill the cop quickly and stealthily? Suspending my disbelief during a movie with such strong elements of realism is jarring and distracting. Regardless of the minor issues The Yards entertains with out breaking the mold.

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Kylo S

Oct 30, 2018

Although well paced and featuring top talents such as Mark Whalberg, Charlize Theron and Joaquin Pheonix this James Gray directed film falls short. Why? Because as an expose of corruption in New York City politics, The Yards doesn't offer anything new. As a low-key thriller about crime, punishment, and betrayal, it's competent, but not spectacular. And, as a melodrama about broken friendships and tangled family relationships, it only does the job some of the time. Gray showed great promise with Little Odessa. Hopefully, The Yards represents nothing more than a sophomore slump and is not indicative of the direction his career is going to take.

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Harry W

Dec 16, 2011

Brilliant New York noir that was buried by Miramax almost before it opened. The only weakness is the ending that Miramax insisted be tacked on.

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James Gray

Director

Mark Wahlberg

Leo Handler

Joaquin Phoenix

Willie Gutierrez

Charlize Theron

Erica Stoltz

James Caan

Frank Olchin

Ellen Burstyn

Val Handler

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Synopsis

After serving time in prison for taking the fall for a group of his friends, Leo just wants to get his life back on track. So he goes to the one place he thinks will be safe -- home. There he takes a new job with his highly connected and influential uncle. But in the yards, where his uncle now pulls the strings, safe is not how they do business. Unwittingly, he's drawn into a world of sabotage, high stakes payoffs and even murder.

Director: James Gray
Producer: Kerry Orent, Paul Webster, Nick Wechsler
Screenwriter: James Gray, Matt Reeves
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: Miramax Films, Industry Entertainment
Rating: R (Scene of Sexuality|Language|Violence)
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 27, 2000, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 8, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $882.7K
Runtime: 1h 55m
Sound Mix: SDDS, DTS, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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