What Is A Yard of Jackals About?
The premise of A Yard of Jackals in 340 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In winter-shrouded Santiago, Raúl Peralta lives a quiet, tightly ordered life beneath the shadow of Chile’s military dictatorship. He is an architectural model maker whose painstaking work keeps him close to the institutions of power, even as his modest apartment offers a measure of refuge. There he cares for his ailing mother, tends to a canary, and moves through routines that seem deliberately small: work, family duty, and a daily lunch from Blanca Lewin, the woman who has become his love interest. Against the city’s broader atmosphere of fear and surveillance, this domestic world is fragile but precious.
That sense of calm is unsettled when unfamiliar neighbors move into the adjoining home. Their presence is strange and threatening, and the ordinary sounds beyond Raúl’s walls begin to carry an uncomfortable ambiguity. He watches them closely, uncertain whether his anxiety is justified, while their glances and guarded behavior make it increasingly difficult to retreat into his former routine. The encounter introduces Guillermo, a mysterious man in dark glasses whose calm, unreadable manner draws Raúl into a disturbing dynamic of proximity and suspicion.
Guillermo becomes an enigma at the center of Raúl’s mounting unease. Their interactions are fragmentary and charged, defined less by conversation than by gestures, silences, and the sense that each understands more than he reveals. Raúl is a man unused to conflict, yet the new circumstances place him at the intersection of private fear and a country shaped by state violence. His connection to Guillermo blurs the line between neighborly contact, coercion, and something he cannot fully name.
The film’s psychological thriller emerges from this collision between Raúl’s gentle, enclosed existence and the threatening world pressing in around him. Its cold atmosphere and slow-building suspense turn familiar spaces—the workshop, the home, the shared wall—into sources of dread. As Raúl’s grip on reality begins to falter, his models and his bond with Blanca suggest the ways he tries to preserve order, while Guillermo and the new neighbors embody the destabilizing forces that make every quiet corner of Santiago feel uncertain.
What Happens in A Yard of Jackals?
The complete story of A Yard of Jackals, from the first scene to the last, in 221 words (about 1 minute). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 4 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
Set in 1975 during the oppressive Chilean military dictatorship, the story follows Raúl Peralta, a modest man who earns a living by crafting detailed models for the army. Raúl leads a quiet, routine existence, splitting his time between caring for his dying mother, played by Grimanesa Jiménez, and visiting his love interest, Laura, who provides him with his daily lunch.
This fragile peace is shattered when mysterious neighbors move in next door. These individuals are actually agents of the National Intelligence Directorate, the regime’s notorious institution responsible for the torture and disappearance of political dissidents. Among them is a particularly menacing agent, played by Juan Cano, who is marked by a prominent facial scar and maintains a chilling psychological connection with Raúl through silent glances.
Raúl’s life quickly descends into a living nightmare as he begins to hear the screams and sounds of torture echoing through the walls. Despite his desperate attempts to report these atrocities, he is met with threats and a crushing sense of helplessness. The horror reaches a peak when he is forced to listen to the brutal torture and rape of one of his own friends. Through his meticulous model making, Raúl Peralta creates a vivid, haunting representation of the violence and agony occurring just a few inches away, leaving deep and permanent scars on his psyche.
A Yard of Jackals Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
14 key events in the order they happen, from “A Quiet Life Under Dictatorship” to “Recounting Horror Through His Models”. 8 events name a place, across 6 locations.
- 1
A Quiet Life Under Dictatorship
In Chile in 1975, during the oppressive military dictatorship, Raúl lives a modest and routine life in his neighborhood. He seeks refuge in the apparent peace of his surroundings, working as a model maker crafting models for the Chilean Army.
When:1975 Where:Chile
- 2
Caring for His Dying Mother
Raúl dedicates much of his time to caring for his elderly mother, who is in her final days. Despite the political turmoil surrounding the country, his daily life revolves around his work and caring for her at home.
Where:Raúl's home
- 3
Daily Visits to His Love Interest
Part of Raúl's peaceful routine includes visiting his love interest, a woman who sells him lunch every day. These small interactions represent the simple happiness and stability he has built for himself amid the dictatorship.
Where:Lunch stand
- 4
Mysterious Neighbors Move In
Raúl's peaceful routine is suddenly disrupted when mysterious new neighbors arrive and move in next door. Their arrival marks the beginning of a spiral of horror that will shatter his quiet existence forever.
Where:Raúl's neighborhood
- 5
The Neighbors Are DINA Agents
The new neighbors turn out to be agents of the National Intelligence Directorate (DINA), the institution responsible for persecuting, torturing, and disappearing political opponents of the regime. Raúl unknowingly lives right next to the machinery of state terror.
Where:House next door
- 6
The Scarred Man's Stares
One of the agents, a man with a large scar on his face, stands out from the others. He constantly interacts with Raúl through unsettling glances and gestures, creating an atmosphere of growing menace between the two houses.
- 7
Strange Noises Begin
From the moment the neighbors arrive, Raúl begins to hear strange noises coming from the house next door. The sounds grow increasingly disturbing, hinting at the horrors taking place within those walls.
Where:Raúl's home
- 8
Torture Heard Through the Wall
The noises become unmistakable as Raúl directly hears torture being carried out through the wall separating his home from the neighbors'. The sounds of suffering invade his formerly peaceful sanctuary and turn his life into a nightmare.
Where:Raúl's home
- 9
Attempts to Report the Horrors
Unable to ignore what he hears, Raúl makes relentless efforts to report the crimes happening next door. His attempts to alert the authorities represent an act of bravery in a country where speaking out against the regime is extremely dangerous.
- 10
Threats and Intimidation
Instead of finding help, Raúl receives threats for trying to report what is happening. The regime's machinery closes in around him, making him realize the danger he has brought upon himself and everything he holds dear.
Show the other 4 events of A Yard of Jackals Hide the last 4 events
- 11
A Stranger Implicated in Interrogation
During an interrogation he hears through the wall, a stranger becomes implicated in the agents' questioning. Raúl desperately tries to save the man, but his helplessness in the face of the regime's cruelty deepens his trauma and sense of powerlessness.
- 12
His Friend Tortured and Raped
In one of the film's most brutal and powerful scenes, Raúl hears one of his friends being tortured and raped next door. His desperate reaction, conveyed through a tremendous performance, captures the full depth of his horror and inability to stop the atrocity.
- 13
Deep and Lasting Scars
The spiral of horror and violence leaves deep scars on Raúl that will never fully heal. The apparent peace he once sought in his quiet neighborhood is permanently shattered by everything he heard and witnessed.
- 14
Recounting Horror Through His Models
Through his craft as a model maker, Raúl paints a vivid picture of all the horrors he heard coming from the house next door. His models become a haunting testimony to the atrocities committed during the dictatorship.
Where:Raúl's workshop
Who Are the Main Characters in A Yard of Jackals?
4 characters, among them Raúl Peralta, Laura and Menacing Agent: who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
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Raúl Peralta
Played by Néstor Cantillana
Raúl is a modest and deeply caring man who finds solace in crafting detailed models. His life revolves around his ailing mother and his love for Laura, until the specter of violence intrudes upon his routine. Faced with horrifying events beyond his control, Raúl's character is a profound exploration of trauma and resilience.
- 👨🏭 Modest
- ❤️ Caring
- 😔 Traumatized
- L
Laura
Played by Blanca Lewin
Laura is Raúl's love interest, offering him a brief escape from the oppressive world around them. Her character symbolizes hope and the importance of personal connections amidst turmoil. However, she too faces the looming threat of the regime's brutality.
- ❤️ Love Interest
- ✨ Hopeful
- MA
Menacing Agent
Played by Juan Cano
The menacing agent symbolizes the predatory nature of the oppressive regime. With a chilling presence marked by a prominent scar, he creates a psychological terror that pervades Raúl's life. This character serves as a reminder of the ever-present threat faced by those living under dictatorship.
- 🦹♂️ Antagonist
- 😱 Scary
- RM
Raúl's Mother
Played by Grimanesa Jiménez
Raúl's mother represents the fragility of life amid chaos. As she approaches the end of her life, her character highlights Raúl's sense of responsibility and emotional burden during such dark times. Her condition amplifies Raúl's feelings of helplessness.
- 👵 Elderly
- ❤️ Fragile
Where and When Is A Yard of Jackals Set?
A Yard of Jackals is set in Chile (1975). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
1975
The story is set during the Chilean military dictatorship, a period characterized by brutal oppression and widespread human rights abuses. Millions lived in fear as the regime silenced dissent through torture and disappearance, significantly impacting the social fabric of the nation. This chaotic environment serves as a backdrop for Raúl's quiet life, which is dramatically upended.
Where
Chile
The movie takes place in Chile during 1975, a time marked by the harsh realities of a military dictatorship. The urban environment becomes a character in itself, reflecting the oppressive atmosphere where fear and surveillance dominate everyday life. The houses, once homes, transform into sites of horror and terror as the regime enforces its reign through violence.
- 🇨🇱 Chile
- 🏙️ Urban Setting
- 🏚️ Oppressive Environment
What Are the Themes of A Yard of Jackals?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Oppression, Isolation and Creativity vs. Horror.
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01
Oppression
Oppression is a central theme in the film, manifesting through the pervasive fear that grips Raúl and his community. The terror inflicted by the regime underscores the struggle for personal autonomy and the psychological scars left by such violence. This theme resonates deeply as Raúl's peaceful existence is shattered by the actions of those in power.
-
02
Isolation
Raúl's isolation is starkly portrayed, as he finds himself alone amidst the torment surrounding him. His quiet routine and moments with Laura stand in stark contrast to the horrors he witnesses, emphasizing the loneliness that can accompany trauma. This sense of isolation amplifies his psychological struggles and feelings of helplessness.
-
03
Creativity vs. Horror
Raúl's model making serves as both a creative outlet and a haunting representation of the violence he experiences. This theme illustrates the tension between artistic expression and the horrific realities of life under dictatorship. Through his art, Raúl confronts the trauma, attempting to cope with the brutality that encroaches on his world.
What Kind of Film Is A Yard of Jackals?
Dark in tone, with variable pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Dark
- Pacing
- Variable
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Bleak
A relentlessly oppressive psychological horror that turns Raúl’s quiet isolation into a claustrophobic nightmare of state terror, helpless witnessing, and lasting psychological scars.
- oppressive
- claustrophobic
- lonely
- anxious
- psychologically disturbing
- bleak
- political repression
- state violence
- torture
- psychological trauma
Content notes: torture, sexual assault, forced witnessing of violence, political repression, state surveillance, psychological trauma.
Quiz
How well do you remember A Yard of Jackals? Test yourself on the story.
