Strangely, with so many films and TV shows at our fingertips, it can be hard to find something good to watch. Too many options is the modern viewers’ dilemma, but if you’re in the mood for a thriller, one modern film can’t be beat — and you don’t even need a Netflix subscription to watch.
Sicario, which means “hitman” in Spanish, has a bevvy of impressed and breathless fans. Actress Emily Blunt plays FBI agent Kate Macer who receives a top assignment when she is recruited by a mysterious government official (played by Josh Brolin) to join a stealth task force to bring down a Mexican drug lord.
It holds a 93% Rotten Tomatoes, with critics saying: “Led by outstanding work from Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro, Sicario is a taut, tightly wound thriller with much more on its mind than attention-getting set pieces.”
What Sicario is about
“Operating outside legal boundaries with a CIA handler and a mysterious fixer, she discovers the mission’s true purpose goes far beyond what she was told,” reads the film synopsis.
Kate, an idealist, discovers the operation is morally grey, if not outright illegal. Benicio del Toro plays a major role in the film as Alejandro Gillick, a former Mexican prosecutor turned assassin, who leads the team in going after one cartel boss to uncover an even bigger one.
The ensemble cast also features Daniel Kaluuya as Reggie Wayne, a new FBI agent and Kate’s partner.
Sicario, which came out in 2015, is directed by Denis Villeneuve, the filmmaker behind Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, and the Dune trilogy. The film was up for three Oscar nominations (Best Cinematography, Original Score and Sound Editing).
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What viewers are saying
A breathless audience review on Lettrboxd said: “pretty much just held my breath for two hours straight what a RIDE”.
Another wrote: “Never has a film kept me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning, but Sicario grabbed my throat and sparingly let me come up for air. “
Elsewhere on IMDB, a user review reads: “One of those select few thrillers that will have your eyes stuck to the screen from the opening credits to the very end, and I mean that literally: I changed my sitting position many times during the film, yet I clearly recall never ever turning my head away from the film, this is how intense it is.”
(L-R) Daniel Kaluuya, Josh Brolin, Victor Garber and Emily Blunt star in Sicario
They added: “I truly marvel at how this film is so tightly put together and even despite it faults, which it has, especially in script, it just never gives you a chance to breathe and take it all in, thanks to the atmosphere that is established from shot one until the last one, you are always anticipating something’s going to happen and that is the sign you are watching a great thriller. You are always on the edge of your seat and in some occasions you are really biting your knuckles. The movie has a way to throw you into the action that is really rare to find, especially in a highway sequence where I literally felt I was there.”
On Rotten Tomatoes, one impressed viewer said: “One of the best movies ever made IMO. Have seen it many times.”
“This movie is the definition of a masterpiece,” wrote another. “Brilliant casting, epic cinematography and direction, insightful and intelligent story, and incredible action. Anybody not giving it a positive review should stick to watching Barbie. Although Benecio and Brolin are incredible, it is Blunt that really gives the story it’s driving force.”
Where to watch the movie
The first two films of the Sicario trilogy are available to watch on BBC iPlayer with a valid TV license. del Toro went on to star in the sequel Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018).
The final instalment, Sicario: Capos, is in development.