Kate Macer (Emily Blunt), a young and somewhat inexperienced FBI Agent is recruited onto a covert government task force, which has been formed to assist in the escalating war against drugs on the border between the United States and Mexico. Given very little information about the methods and eventual targets of the task force, she soon comes to the realisation that their means of doing things are extremely unorthodox. A widely favoured film that was originally released in 2015 and landed a sequel not long after that.

Director: Denis Villeneuve
Writers: Taylor Sheridan
Starring: Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro

People say that good, effective thrillers manage to keep you on the edge of your seat from the first minute until the last, and it’s fair to say Sicario managed to do just that. Not only did the film boast some incredibly tense and suspenseful scenes, but it also showcased beautiful cinematography and an equally impressive soundtrack. Some spectacular landscapes across the Mexican and United States border were highlighted, along with really effective drone shots. Various filming locations were used, El Paso, Texas and Albuquerque, New Mexico, the more prominent ones.

Many aspects of Sicario stood out, but one in particular would have to be the dark and sinister atmosphere the filmmakers managed to portray over the one-hundred and twenty-one-minute runtime, with some truly gripping moments injected throughout. The soundtrack, which could be described as almost menacing at times, also helped fuel the atmosphere that lingered.

In terms of the cast, you’d struggle to find a better and more thorough line-up in many thrillers. The flick was primarily spearheaded by Emily Blunt, who as touched upon, adopted the role of Kate Macer, a young FBI Agent who was fundamentally hoping to do things by the book, rather than bending the rules in order to achieve results by any means necessary.

Elsewhere, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro appeared in support roles, portraying Matt Graver and Alejandro, respectively. The character of Alejandro didn’t bring much to the table in regard to charisma, but it certainly did bring an air of mystery that slowly unravelled as the film wore on, leading to a near perfect final act involving the character. Other appearances came from Daniel Kaluuya and Jon Bernthal, albeit in slightly less prominent roles.

All in all, the strong clinical story, cinematography, soundtrack and acting performances, must place Sicario up there as one of the most appealing thrillers to have been released in the last few years. If you’re sustainable to a less than conventional police thriller with an extremely tense and suspenseful atmosphere, then I’d certainly recommend this one.

“Time to meet God.”

Alejandro – Sicario