Directed by Idris Elba
Starring Aml Ameen, Sheldon Shepherd, Stephen Graham, Shantol Jackson
Running time: 1 hour 41 minutes
MPAA rating: not rated

by Jaime Davis, The Fixer

Actors directing movies is nothing new, yet for some reason it feels novel when an actor announces they’re heading to the director’s chair. Like…look what I can do, world! For every solid Gone Baby Gone, there’s an equally squalid Live by Night (looking at you, Ben Affleck). I’m typically skeptical of actors jumping into the hot seat…call me a doubter but I mostly just don’t want to watch people typically revered getting dogged by critics and grandmas the world over. Maybe I’m just a benevolent overprotective big sister type? Or maybe I’m a hater. (Probably 86% hater). I’ll be the first to admit when I’m wrong, though - I’ve gone on the record about Bradley Cooper’s skills and Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird ended up being an example of fine filmmaking. Olivia Wilde is the latest to break into the game - a super fun trailer for her film, Booksmart, has been making the rounds online. So when I heard Idris Elba was diving in, filming an adaptation of Victor Headley’s 1992 novel Yardie, I crossed my fingers, said a sweet ‘lil Catholic prayer my grandma taught me, and held my breath. I love Idris Elba! Doesn’t everybody? Please oh please oh please oh please oh please oh please let it be decent, I chanted to myself for weeks.