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Movies that feel like The Yards (2000)

If you loved The Yards, the closest films we have are We Own the Night (2007), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) and A Simple Plan (1998). All three share The Yards's gritty and contemplative feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 7 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on Sundance Now, Paramount Plus Premium and Paramount Plus Essential and others, checked against today's data.

In the rail yards of Queens, contractors repair and rebuild the city's subway cars. These contracts are lucrative, so graft and corruption are rife. When Leo Handler gets out of prison, he finds his aunt married to Frank Olchin, one of the big contractors; he's battling with a minority-owned firm for contracts.

πŸ… 64% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 6.4 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. James Graygrittycontemplativetensewarm

When is The Yards streaming? β†’

If The Yards hit the spot, these will too

We Own the Night poster
We Own the Night
2007 Β· dir. James Gray
πŸ… 57%β˜… 6.8drama Β· crime Β· thriller

Both are James Gray films, and they rhyme

The difference: Missing the warmth of The Yards

A New York nightclub manager tries to save his brother and father from Russian mafia hitmen.

Feels alike?
The Talented Mr. Ripley poster
The Talented Mr. Ripley
1999 Β· dir. Anthony Minghella
πŸ… 85%β˜… 7.4thriller Β· crime Β· drama

The same mix in both: grit, then stillness

Tom Ripley is a calculating young man who believes it's better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody. Opportunity knocks in the form of a wealthy U.S. shipbuilder who hires Tom to travel to Italy to bring back his playboy son, Dickie. Ripley worms his way into the idyllic lives of Dickie and his girlfriend, plunging into a daring scheme of duplicity, lies and murder.

Feels alike?
A Simple Plan poster
A Simple Plan
1998 Β· dir. Sam Raimi
πŸ… 91%β˜… 7.5crime Β· drama Β· thriller

Tense and warm in the same breath

The difference: Critics rated this one higher still

Captivated by the lure of sudden wealth, the quiet rural lives of two brothers erupt into conflicts of greed, paranoia and distrust when over $4 million in cash is discovered at the remote site of a downed small airplane. Their simple plan to retain the money while avoiding detection opens a Pandora's box when the fear of getting caught triggers panicked behavior and leads to virulent consequences.

Feels alike?
Red Rock West poster
Red Rock West
1993 Β· dir. John Dahl
πŸ… 95%β˜… 7crime Β· drama Β· thriller

Murder and criminal, at the center of both

When a promised job for Texan Michael fails to materialize in Wyoming, Mike is mistaken by Wayne to be the hitman he hired to kill his unfaithful wife, Suzanne. Mike takes full advantage of the situation, collects the money, and runs. During his getaway, things go wrong, and soon get worse when he runs into the real hitman, Lyle.

Feels alike?
Layer Cake poster
Layer Cake
2004 Β· dir. Matthew Vaughn
πŸ… 81%β˜… 7.2drama Β· thriller Β· crime

Murder is the engine of both

When a seemingly straight-forward drug deal goes awry, XXXX has to break his die-hard rules and turn up the heat, not only to outwit the old regime and come out on top, but to save his own skin...

Feels alike?
Memories of Murder poster
Memories of Murder
2003 Β· dir. Bong Joon Ho
β˜… 8.1crime Β· drama Β· thriller

Both built around corruption

A sadistic serial rapist and murderer of young women terrorizes a small province in 1980s South Korea. To prevent further crimes, three increasingly desperate detectives with conflicting methods race against time to unravel the violent mind of the killer in a futile effort to solve the case.

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Primal Fear poster
Primal Fear
1996 Β· dir. Gregory Hoblit
πŸ… 77%β˜… 7.7crime Β· drama Β· thriller

Corruption sits at the heart of each

Defense attorney Martin Vail takes on jobs for money and prestige rather than any sense of the greater good. His latest case involves an altar boy, accused of brutally murdering the archbishop of Chicago. Vail finds himself up against his ex-pupil and ex-lover, but as the case progresses and the Church's dark secrets are revealed, Vail finds that what appeared a simple case takes on a darker, more dangerous aspect.

Feels alike?
Collateral poster
Collateral
2004 Β· dir. Michael Mann
πŸ… 86%β˜… 7.5drama Β· crime Β· thriller

Gritty crime, and it commits to that

Cab driver Max picks up a man who offers him $600 to drive him around. But the promise of easy money sours when Max realizes his fare is an assassin.

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Sleepers poster
Sleepers
1996 Β· dir. Barry Levinson
πŸ… 76%β˜… 7.5crime Β· drama Β· thriller

Drama with a pulse of stillness, in both cases

Two gangsters seek revenge on the state jail worker who during their stay at a youth prison sexually abused them. A sensational court hearing takes place to charge him for the crimes.

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A History of Violence poster
A History of Violence
2005 Β· dir. David Cronenberg
πŸ… 88%β˜… 7.4drama Β· thriller Β· crime

Thriller built on tension, twice over

An average family is thrust into the spotlight after the father commits a seemingly self-defense murder at his diner.

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Lord of War poster
Lord of War
2005 Β· dir. Andrew Niccol
πŸ… 62%β˜… 7.6crime Β· drama Β· thriller

Both trade on grit more than on being crime

Yuri Orlov is a globetrotting arms dealer and, through some of the deadliest war zones, he struggles to stay one step ahead of a relentless Interpol agent, his business rivals and even some of his customers who include many of the world's most notorious dictators. Finally, he must also face his own conscience.

Feels alike?
Law Abiding Citizen poster
Law Abiding Citizen
2009 Β· dir. F. Gary Gray
πŸ… 26%β˜… 7.4drama Β· crime Β· thriller

Contemplative drama in both cases

A frustrated man decides to take justice into his own hands after a plea bargain sets one of his family's killers free. He targets not only the killer but also the district attorney and others involved in the deal.

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In the mood for more gritty?

all gritty movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share The Yards's defining feeling.