Sicario: Movie Review

As “Sicario” opens, we see FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) and her team smash into an Arizona home only to discover that the walls of the residence were lined with bagged human bodies. The stench of decaying flesh forced most of the agents to step outside in order to vomit. This scene was more horrific than what you would see in most horror films. Within those first few minutes I knew that “Sicario” was going to be one hell of a movie and I was right.

Kate is an idealistic agent who believes in doing everything by the book. When she volunteers to join an elite government task force led by Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) and the mysterious Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro), Kate soon discovers that not everyone plays by the same rules. Kate may have blindly volunteered to be a part of something that she does not fully understand or agree with, but that doesn’t stop her from following orders as she was trained to do. It takes us awhile to figure out what is really going on in “Sicario”. We basically know what Kate knows and she is kept in the dark for a good portion of the film and that is a good thing. The tension continues to build and as things start coming to light, all the more interesting.

It’s hard to believe that “Sicario” was written by actor/first time screenwriter Taylor Sheridan. Director Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners) does a fantastic job keeping the film consistently thrilling. I can’t forget to mention the score which fits perfectly even though it feels like it belongs in a horror film. Blunt gives one of the best performances of her career so far. Brolin and Del Toro is also great. I also really liked Daniel Kaluuya who plays Kate’s FBI partner and best friend Reggie Wayne.

There have been a lot of great films about the war on drugs, but “Sicario” is one of the best. Rumors are going around the internet about a possible sequel even though “Sicario” feels more like a self-contained story that doesn’t need a follow-up. I wouldn’t be against the idea.

By: Marc Ferman