Yara (2021) User Reviews

Do you truly ever know someone?

[amaliamena-78704 · 7/10 · 6 November 2021]

As a crime fanatic this movie was good. We get to learn about this innocence 13 year old girl Yara who is into sports, and usually walks home after she is done at her local gym, not far from her home. But tragedy hits the town when she disappears and her body is found. Who would do such a cruel thing to a child?

The detective was the star of the show and without her resolve this case would have never been solved.

An amazing real case...

[Thanos_Alfie · 7/10 · 15 December 2021]

"Yara" is a Drama - Thriller movie in which we follow the true story of a mysterious missing 13-year-old. This case was investigated by a prosecutor who did not lose her faith and tried very hard to solve the mystery behind it.

I liked this movie very much because it was based on a real case, it had an interesting plot that contained plenty of suspense and mystery, something that made it even more interesting. The direction which was made by Marco Tullio Giordana was very good and he did an excellent job on the way he presented the plot behind the missing person along with the key characters of the movie. The interpretations of Isabella Ragonese who played as Letizia Ruggeri, Thomas Trabacchi who played as Maresciallo Garro and Miro Landoni who played as Cancelliere Edoardo Carlini were very good. In conclusion, I have to say that "Yara" is an interesting thriller movie and I recommend you to watch it because I am sure that will leave you speechless.

Starts out good but loses pace towards the end.

[ChungMo · 7/10 · 13 November 2021]

Excellent production starts out snappy and well-constructed but loses focus towards the end. This may be a result of the nature of the true story taking several years to come to a conclusion. Not sure how the filmmakers could have solved this but a stronger soundtrack would have helped. This is not to say the music isn't good when it happens, it's very good, but the film needed more to fill in the gaps caused by the disjointed timeline of the case. Everyone on screen is very good.

A very sad story

[raptorclock · 7/10 · 11 November 2021]

I approached this movie without knowing what to expect.

It is sad to review a film that is based on real events, in this case the murder of a poor girl. The story is well told.

The actors are credible and for the whole film there is a certain restlessness and anxiety.

In its genuineness, the film is perfect. Maybe a part of the action is totally missing but if it didn't happen I don't see why it needs to be told.

Sometimes I had the impression that the film was running too much towards an epilogue maybe a little hasty.

Surely saddened to know that the girl's parents could watch the movie and relive the moments that anguished them so much.

a very local...

[ops-52535 · 6/10 · 6 November 2021]

Murder case that became part of every italian living north of napoli as the years passed by. A young girl dissapears, and we follow the search, the findings, the investigation and the suspect. Dna was a very important tool to tackle the culprit, that eventually gets caught and convicted even though innocence is claimed for bare life...

it a true crime drama, couldve been deeper in the details, and tells how complicated the italian justice system is. But the production and the casts delivery of craftmanship is well above the average.

Allthough a thin storyline and lack of depth plotwise the grumpy old man gives a 6 for this one. There are obviously huge amounts of material for netflix to make a 4 hour documentary series on this case...so why not?.a recommend.

It's a true and sad story but there is one big problem with it as a movie

[Just-A-Girl-14 · 7/10 · 11 November 2021]

The movie is ok. It follows the investigation of the kidnapping and murder of 13 y/o Yara Gambirasio.

The acting is good and so is everything else. The problem here is that even though a man was charged and prosecuted for these crimes, he never confessed nor did the police could figure out his motives and the exact chain of events so basically the viewer is left with a lot of unanswered questions.

In the end you can only be sorry for her and her family and wonder why the hell there's no DNA database in Italy? Are they crazy??? There's a real reason to create a DNA database and that's to find criminals and stop them before they commit another crime. The idea that every prosecutor needs to create its own database for each individual case is insane. They might have done it in this case but not every case gets the same amount of attention and funding so without a real DNA database the end result will be that a lot of crimes will be unsolved and a lot of criminals will get away.

It's 2021 so all I have to say is: wake up, Italy!

ABOVE AVERAGE

[sunildaswaney-63642 · 6/10 · 1 December 2021]

An above average movie with competent performances by everyone. However it would have been better if it was edited a bit more tightly thus reducing its length by 10-15 minutes. If you enjoy watching true stories involving the justice system,then you should not miss this film 6/10.

Interesting movie

[giovannibertoglio · 6/10 · 13 November 2021]

Very interesting movie, but poor attention was given to details and acting performance. It's very similar in style with a fiction at times.

Besides (with all due respect to the final verdict and the trial) only one side of the story has been told in this movie and no voice was given to the than-suspect.

Good but not great.

[jeff-2051 · 6/10 · 13 November 2021]

Another reviewer summed up my thoughts pretty well when he/she wrote something to the effect of "Great. I spent an hour and a half, and still don't know why Yara was killed." It took an inordinate amount of time to finish the whole thing, so that's telling.

No point watching it

[ioannapap8 · 1/10 · 14 November 2021]

The movie was extremely mediocre if not bad. There was no emotion, no thrill, no suspense and for a true sad story like that you would think it would be more impactful for the viewer. But I bet reading the report about the case would be more interesting than anything we saw in the movie. It's like a robot made it. Showing the events but without any emotion whatsoever.

An investigation that lasted for years.

[ulicknormanowen · 8/10 · 22 November 2021]

Isabella Ragonese shines in this investigation based on a real-live event: no cliché , no filler ,no hint at her private life, no unnecessary scene (the brief moment when she thinks she's lost her own daughter could not have been more human).

A determined woman , but not the usual smug cocky hero/heroine one meets in so many thrillers ,a human being with her doubts and her moments of discouragement ; putting her career on stake, even when everybody is against her .The parents,too,give a restrained performance,full of dignity , always trusting her and never overplaying,no facile tear-jerking scene. But the mother's look,at the end of the trial ,is revealing.

In spite of a horrible tragedy (the viewer knows from the start the fatal issue and the martyr the victim endured) , this is a gripping ,absorbing investigation ,involving the simplest methods (the diary of the teenager) and the more complex ones (DNA ); another strong point is that even in real life ,there are red herrings: a mistranslation can ruin an innocent's life.

Missing kid(s)

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 2 December 2021]

Kids gone missing - there probably is nothing a lot worse for parents. And it doesn't happen that often that one finds a determined police individual that really wants to solve or rather find the kid. I am not saying that others do not care - but the determination in this case (no pun intended) is quite astonishing.

I did not know the real case this is based on, but the movie does a good job taking us through what happened, step by step. Very well played and edited together. It probably will touch you one way or the other.

being based on a true story is the only decent thing about this movie

[stickzgg · 3/10 · 14 November 2021]

The screenplay is extremely superficial and does not involve any criminalistics knowledge. The storytelling is nothing but linear and the plot is very obvious in each and every second of the movie. Every new clue is just thrown at the viewer without letting the viewer make own observations and conclusions. The steps the detectives make in their approach are flawed and chronologically unorganized. The acting was just a bit better than bad. The camera work lacks creativity, there's no movement or focus shifting to lead us through the story. All in all, feels like the director had much more money than knowledge or intellect at hands.

Excellent drama based on true events

[Vindelander · 7/10 · 15 January 2022]

Thoroughly enjoyed this production which has excellent cast and is well scripted and directed. Visually exciting and with much more beautiful detectives and court prosecutors than we have in the UK. If I'm going to be arrested for anything I'd like it to be in Italy.

The fact that this is a factual case makes it all the more watchable but one can't help but wonder if true justice was meted out in the end.

I'd watch it again.

Keep you searching for the true

[redrupgilly · 7/10 · 16 November 2021]

Good actors, very nicely done. I have to think about the suspect, and how he having three girls himself is able to commit such crime. I also read that the trainer at the sports center match the blood found on Yara's jacket, and why she was crying the night of Yara disappearance? No rape, is also the big elephant in the room. I'm not trying to excuse this man, but many things unsaid, inconclusive.

Based on real events

[omarcantbestopped · 7/10 · 11 November 2021]

This story based in small village in Italy so instantaneously you'll think this just doesn't happen there. Well evil spreads everywhere and it's sad and more heartbreaking when it is involves a minor.

With all the evidence aiming towards a killer yet to this day they fight for their freedom and innocence. Unbelievable!

Decent movie, frustrating story

[ellipseanostalrius · 6/10 · 12 November 2021]

I don't know how true to events this is, as a movie it's decent.

The differences in US and Italian laws are vast. Lots of head-scratchers for us Yankees. That being said, the case itself is unacceptable. It is built around DNA matching with no actual evidence, motive, or witnesses. The prosecutors case is purely speculative. It's hard to believe someone got convicted in this case if it is true to actual events.

A good movie

[antide-42376 · 7/10 · 28 November 2021]

A true story and one that will keep you interested. A young girl goes missing and is ultimately found dead. That is NOT a spoiler as this is evident from the very beginning. It took years for this mystery to be brought to a conclusion and 'Yara' leaves no stone unturned in showing the frustration of the female prosecutor in seeking out justice.

The importance of DNA kept this case alive and without it this would most probably have been filed as an unsolved case. Give this movie a try, it's worth it.

Busted by DNA!

[lavatch · 7/10 · 6 September 2023]

The film was successful in demonstrating how the death of a 13-year-old girl galvanized the community of Bergamo to find the assailant. Letizia Ruggeri is the hard-boiled prosecutor who is relentless in exploring all the scientific options for identifying the killer of Yara.

After years of investigation and the testing of scores of residents with DNA samples, the trail finally led to a construction worker, who was the illegitimate son of a bus driver. This was only accomplished through DNA matches.

In places, the film was overly graphic and unpleasant. But that is not to say that its dramatic impact was not deeply felt. There was good focus especially on the pain inflicted on Yara's family. The child was within walking distance of her home, yet was still abducted and brutally murdered.

Throughout the trial, the perpetrator maintained that he was innocent. But the scientific evidence was too strong. People are liars. And now, this liar is a lifer. Rest in peace, Yara.

Quite mediocre

[p_piorico · 4/10 · 9 November 2021]

A poorly acted scripted and directed portrayal of a real criminal case with many missing key parts such as the suspect/perpetrator's interrogation to name one.

IT'S PAINSTAKING WORK

[albertval-69560 · 9/10 · 9 November 2021]

For all intents and purposes, this is a cold case but prosecutor Letizia Ruggeri's decision to embark on reverse investigation focusing on DNA analysis backed up by a database of DNA samples was crucial to unmasking the killer. As the film shows, it's a slow, painstaking process but, in the end, it yielded a perfect match.

It's not all science; otherwise, it could be boring. There's genuine drama as well focusing on the family's deep grief and Ruggeri's steely determination to catch the criminal.

This film is more about Ruggeri as investigator than about the victim or her grieving family but it's compelling nonetheless. The director succeeds in re-constructing a true story that doesn't sound like a documentary. Isabella Ragonese effectively portrays her role as the crusading prosecutor. A fitting message from her is, a quitter never wins.

Watch this film. It's uplifting.

A slow but engrossing crime investigation

[madanmarwah · 6/10 · 27 November 2021]

Set in Italy, this is the story of a 13 year old eighth grade schoolgirl Yara who was unfortunately kidnapped and killed. It is a true story which took place in 2010 and the conviction of the murderer took place in 2013.

Investigation was done by a lady prosecutor who was finally able to locate the perpetrator through a lengthy, painstaking process using DNA samples found on the body of the girl. (A little surprising aspect is that as per the movie there was no database of DNA samples in Italy at that time ) The director keeps the pace slow as the investigation continues day to day. We see the anguish, pain and the grief of the parents as they are questioned on all aspects of the case . Typically no reason for the crime is ruled out. As it happens in such cases, media politics and media trial raise their ugly head. Since the case is handled by a lady prosecutor and the pace is slow there are adverse comments and she is almost replaced by a man expected to bring in faster results. This investigator however does not meet the parents immediately as she says she will meet them only when she has some favourable development and not just for offering condolences and sympathy.

The perseverance of the investigator in going ahead with little data and in the face of obstacles is shown well. Some may find technical discrepancies in the investigation but that is beside the point in this human interest story where emotions play centrestage and there is an urgent need to nab the criminal.

All told a fairly engrossing whodunit albeit a bit slow. Audiences who like human interest movies will find it interesting.

Interesting, but poorly told story

[qui_j · 5/10 · 15 December 2021]

This was an interesting movie to watch, but it was so poorly edited and told, that continuity was often lacking. It does keep you engrossed enough to stick with it until the very end. It's a sad movie that deals with a not uncommon theme.

A True Crime Portrayal Validating The Efforts Of A Particularly Persistent Police Investigator

[goswamikasturi · 7/10 · 29 August 2022]

This almost one and half hour movie is a well enough narration of a plot based on a true crime. A 13-year-old girl goes missing with no traces and suspects. The case almost remains at a standstill until the police discover the dead remains of the victim. The head investigator goes on a wild hunt for the murderer and after multiple hurdles, a single breakthrough leads to the culprit.

The story provokes immense respect for the unfaltered efforts of the prosecutor Letizia Ruggeri towards solving the case despite the immense difficulties she faces: workplace gender oppression, sexist remarks, limited sources, lagging leads and public harassment. But she braves all odds and helps the grieving family to find closure.

The Gambirasios, the grieving family were extremely patient and co-operating. They had faith in the judicial system and weren't particularly affected nor participated in the slandering of prosecutor Ruggeri's name.

The disappointing momentum in the film was when the accused didn't plead guilty, leaving the Gambirasios in the dark regarding the motive behind the crime. In addition to this, the accused to date pleads not guilty to the accusation.

I felt a lack of character development in the movie and would have preferred a little more depth in the narration. In addition, a more detailed investigation would have satisfied the viewer in me. This movie is a good watch if you are a fan of crime dramas and documentaries.

Waste of time

[taamulh · 1/10 · 10 November 2021]

It takes me 1:36 minutes to watch the movie and then we reach the end there was no reason for the killer to kill Yara_ which I was waiting for it since the missing scene_, waste of time watching a movie which will end with no reason.