Yardie (film)

Yardie

Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	2018
Founder	Idris Elba (director)
Products	Crime drama film

Yardie is a 2018 British crime drama marking the feature directorial debut of Idris Elba, featuring performances by Aml Ameen, Shantol Jackson, and Stephen Graham. Adapted from the novel by Jamaican-born author Victor Headley, the film was part of the competition lineup at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.

Plot

Set in 1973 West Kingston, Jamaica, the story follows Dennis "D" Campbell, who lives alongside his peace-seeking brother Jerry Dread amid escalating conflict between the Tappas and Spicers gangs. Jerry organizes a DJ event aiming to establish peace but is tragically killed by Clancy Hibbert, a gang aspirant and D’s schoolmate.

Fast forward to 1983, D has become a tough enforcer for King Fox, a drug lord and record producer. After botching a drug transaction, D is dispatched to Hackney, London, tasked with delivering cocaine to Jamaican gangster Rico Grimes. Offended by Rico’s disrespect towards Jerry, D escapes with the drugs and reconnects with Yvonne, who had fled Kingston with their daughter Vanessa.

D suspects Clancy has also relocated to London. When local youths attempt to steal the cocaine from Yvonne’s apartment, D intervenes and sells the drugs to a Turkish crime boss. With the earnings, he supports Yvonne and Vanessa while aiding the youths with their sound system, joining their music events.

Following an ambush by Rico’s crew and a false kidnapping of Vanessa that leads to Yvonne expelling him, D returns money to Rico but is spared due to King Fox’s influence. Determined to avenge Jerry’s death, D confronts Clancy but falls into an ambush; Clancy escapes while one of his associates is killed.

Yvonne uncovers Fox’s role in Jerry’s murder. During a DJ event at Rico’s nightclub, tensions escalate when Rico insults Fox; Fox responds by killing Rico. Later, Clancy attacks Fox and D, alleging Fox hired him to murder Jerry. In self-defense, D kills Clancy. An injured Fox reveals Jerry was mistakenly killed instead of rival Skeeter. Fueled by rage, D kills Fox.

The film concludes with a flash-forward showing D and Yvonne living peacefully with their children as Fox faces execution.

Cast

• Aml Ameen as Dennis "D" Campbell
• Shantol Jackson as Yvonne
• Sheldon Shepherd as King Fox
• Stephen Graham as Rico Grimes
• Fraser James as Piper
• Everaldo Creary as Jerry Dread Campbell
• Akin Gazi as Arif
• Mark Rhino Smith as Raggz
• Naomi Ackie as Mona
• Calvin Demba as Sticks

Production

Several key sequences, including intense car chases set in London, were shot at the Chatham Historic Dockyard in Kent, which stood in for 1970s East London. The Dockyard also represents the vicinity around Rico's (Stephen Graham) nightclub where D (Aml Ameen) is chased by Rico's men through streets and rooftops during nighttime.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating based on reviews with an average score reflecting mixed feedback. The critical consensus highlights: "Yardie reveals Idris Elba's unique directorial vision in his debut effort, drawing strength from his personal connection to the source material despite uneven execution." Meanwhile, Metacritic reports a weighted average score of 52 out of 100 from 18 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews."

See also

• List of black cinema from the 2010s
• List of hood genre films