"A Yard of Jackals" (2024) – A Chilling Psychological Thriller from Chile
A Yard of Jackals is a haunting Chilean psychological thriller that marks the impressive feature debut of writer-director Diego Figueroa. Based on his earlier short film Los Vecinos, the 2024 film plunges viewers into the suffocating paranoia of late 1970s Santiago, during the height of Augusto Pinochet’s military dictatorship. It is a slow-burning, deeply unsettling portrayal of one man’s descent into fear and helplessness within a society ruled by silence and suspicion.
At the center of the story is Raúl Peralta, played with haunting nuance by Néstor Cantillana. Raúl is a modest architectural model-maker, physically disabled, who lives in quiet solitude with his ailing mother and a pet canary. His life is repetitive and withdrawn, carefully insulated from the outside world — until a new family moves in next door. Their arrival triggers a downward spiral for Raúl as he begins to hear disturbing sounds coming through the walls: screams, violent thuds, and the menacing bark of dogs in the night.
Convinced that his neighbors are involved in acts of torture and repression, Raúl tries to report the situation to the police, only to be met with indifference or veiled threats. His growing paranoia is dismissed by those around him, including his only companion, Laura — a seamstress with dreams of escaping Chile’s oppressive climate. As the terror escalates, Raúl’s world becomes increasingly claustrophobic, blurring the line between reality and delusion.
Figueroa’s direction is restrained but deeply effective, relying on atmosphere and tension rather than graphic imagery. The sound design plays a crucial role, using silence, whispers, and distant screams to build a growing sense of unease. The cinematography, led by Martín Hurtado Marín, mimics the visual style of 1970s cinema, with muted colors, heavy shadows, and a sense of stillness that evokes both intimacy and dread.
What elevates A Yard of Jackals beyond conventional thrillers is its historical and psychological depth. The film is not only a tale of individual fear but also a reflection of the collective trauma experienced under authoritarian regimes. Raúl’s isolation becomes a metaphor for an entire nation paralyzed by fear, where speaking out could mean disappearing. His increasing obsession with what he hears next door reflects the psychological scars inflicted by a government that made neighbors into enemies and silence into survival.
The performances are uniformly strong, especially Cantillana, whose portrayal of Raúl balances fragility with simmering tension. Blanca Lewin, as Laura, provides a welcome contrast — grounded, practical, and empathetic. Together, they give the film its emotional center amid the psychological horror.
Premiering at the 2024 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, A Yard of Jackals received critical acclaim and several awards for its direction and powerful themes. It is a film that lingers long after its final frame — not because of what is seen, but because of what is suggested and left unsaid.
In sum, A Yard of Jackals is a masterfully crafted debut that blends psychological suspense with historical commentary. It's a film of quiet terror, moral ambiguity, and emotional resonance, marking Diego Figueroa as a bold new voice in Latin American cinema.
