Sicario

Name: Sicario
Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Released: September 18, 2015
Duration: 121 min
Rating: 82
Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, Jeffrey Donovan, Jon Bernthal, Josh Brolin

2015

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 48 Critics

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 1010 Ratings

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Sicario

Movie Details & Credits

Lionsgate | Release Date: September 18, 2015

Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, Jeffrey Donovan, Jon Bernthal, Josh Brolin, Victor Garber

Summary: In Mexico, Sicario means hitman. In the lawless border area stretching between the U.S. and Mexico, an idealistic FBI agent (Emily Blunt) is enlisted by an elite government task force official (Josh Brolin) to aid in the escalating war against drugs. Led by an enigmatic consultant with a questionable past (Benicio Del Toro), the team setsIn Mexico, Sicario means hitman. In the lawless border area stretching between the U.S. and Mexico, an idealistic FBI agent (Emily Blunt) is enlisted by an elite government task force official (Josh Brolin) to aid in the escalating war against drugs. Led by an enigmatic consultant with a questionable past (Benicio Del Toro), the team sets out on a clandestine journey forcing Kate to question everything that she believes in order to survive.… Expand

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Genre(s): Action, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 121 min

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Awards & Rankings

48	#48 Best Movie of 2015
20	#20 Most Discussed Movie of 2015
8	#8 Most Shared Movie of 2015

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Consequence of Sound - Michael Roffman

Nov 9, 2016

Sicario works on every level. It’s also fairly prescient, coming at a time when America rages on about the ethics of border control and the mounting war on drugs. Read full review

100

Entertainment Weekly - Chris Nashawaty

Sep 16, 2015

With a taut and timely screenplay by Taylor Sheridan, Sicario is a brilliant action thriller with the smarts of a message movie. Read full review

Screen International - Fionnuala Halligan

May 23, 2015

Sicario is an ambush, a low-slung film about a dirty drugs war with Mexico which challenges and engages in equal measure. It moves with grim tenacity, confounding expectations until its very final sequence. Read full review

CineVue - John Bleasdale

May 23, 2015

Each set piece is orchestrated with aplomb - a raid on a tunnel under the border being a particular stand out - but Sicario is kept grounded in reality. Villeneuve keeps his focus tight on his small group of characters and though the plot is complex, it fits the Byzantine intricacies of the problem and the obscure motivations of the operators. Read full review

We Got This Covered - Sam Woolf

Nov 9, 2016

The acting, craft, and tone of Sicario are so precise that the absurdity of this cartel yarn is both its greatest weakness, and maybe its entire point. Read full review

Washington Post - Stephanie Merry

Sep 24, 2015

Every scene of calm, potentially, is trip-wired for an explosion. But for all its chilling tension and horrific imagery, Sicario is also a beautiful movie. Read full review

The Telegraph - Tim Robey

May 23, 2015

There’s not much fault to find with Sicario on the level of craft or performances, just its rather sputtering momentum, and the lack of a higher purpose. Read full review

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User Reviews

LamontRaymond

Sep 18, 2015

GREAT movie, that was entirely undersold by the trailer. I actually think that Josh Brolin seals the show. Can't imagine there will be many better movies for the mainstream moviegoer this year. Of course, there will be long, boring biopics trotted out for Oscar season, but for my money,GREAT movie, that was entirely undersold by the trailer. I actually think that Josh Brolin seals the show. Can't imagine there will be many better movies for the mainstream moviegoer this year. Of course, there will be long, boring biopics trotted out for Oscar season, but for my money, this very narrowly tailored and spare film will beat them all. Everyone in my theater was on the edge of their seats. Phenomenal stuff.… Expand

22 of 31 users found this helpful229

djnicey

Oct 28, 2015

One of the best films I've seen all year, it has a great storyline that keeps you guessing all the way to the end, awesome cinematography, and very compelling acting. Definitely worth a watch.

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

FilmGob

Oct 8, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. An idealistic FBI agent is enlisted by an elected government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.

Sicario is another well crafted, tense thriller from director Denis Villeneuve, scripted by 'Sons of Anarchy' writer Taylor Sheridan, and shot beautifully by none other than Roger Deakins. It drags you, face first, into the raging drug war between US forces and Mexican cartels. South of the border, we see a house raid that uncovers dead bodies decaying behind walls. An explosion results in the deaths of several men belonging to Emily Blunt's team. It puts her on a mission to draw out one of the major drug lords responsible, with U.S. forces led by Josh Brolin, cooperating alongside the silent and mysterious Benicio del Toro.

Once into Juarez, Mexico, we see a disturbing scene of mutilated corpses hanging in the street. This is part of a 15 to 20 minute scene of pure tension that grips you from start to finish. Steady photography follows a police convoy through the streets and traffic. Ariel shots glide over the city and dry landscape. A haunting score with it's ominous deep rumbling is present throughout. The scene ends with a brutal shootout on a border crossing. It's the beginning of Blunt's journey into a mission that blurs the line between crime and justice.

The cast are all on top of their game. Emily Blunt has starred in a variety of roles in different genres, and here we see her tough yet vulnerable, a believer in justice and going by the book. Benicio del Toro becomes more important as the story progresses, his motivations unclear until the end, a frightening figure with a hunger for revenge. Josh Brolin is also great, a shady task force leader who knows everything about the brutal world he operates in. My one complaint was the little time given to the the drug lords who are only introduced towards the end.

With a runtime of two hours, the film never out stays it's welcome. The tone is consistent and rarely strays from the tense and grim style, with spots of humour here and there. The pace of the film ticks along nicely without over explaining or rushing important scenes. Again, the score by Johann Johannsson is fantastic with low rumblings that build into a wall of noise.

Suspenseful, compelling and sophisticated on it's own terms, Sicario mostly side steps mainstream predictable expectations, and it's all the better for it.… Expand

2 of 6 users found this helpful24

saucyninja007

Sep 28, 2015

The performances by Blunt, Brolin, and Del Toro are fantastic and believable. The action sequences are not only intense but built up to very well. The cinematography is also far above average for a film of this genre. The only thing preventing me from giving this film higher than an 8 isThe performances by Blunt, Brolin, and Del Toro are fantastic and believable. The action sequences are not only intense but built up to very well. The cinematography is also far above average for a film of this genre. The only thing preventing me from giving this film higher than an 8 is that I don't have any desire to see it again.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

eagleeyeviking

Jan 5, 2016

With picturesque cinematography, solid acting and a tight plot, Sicario aims and succeeds in being more than just an action packed vehicle for Emily Blunt.

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

EludiumQ36

Jun 5, 2016

Tough film to watch at times with depictions of drug cartel savagery, but it provides insight into black ops against drug kingpins. Josh Brolin portrayed well a confident, laid back "Matt", and Benicio Del Toro was convincingly menacing as "Alejandro" aka Sicario, however, Emily Blunt madeTough film to watch at times with depictions of drug cartel savagery, but it provides insight into black ops against drug kingpins. Josh Brolin portrayed well a confident, laid back "Matt", and Benicio Del Toro was convincingly menacing as "Alejandro" aka Sicario, however, Emily Blunt made for a poor "Kate". I'm not blaming her, she's a great actress, I'm just saying she was wrong for the role and that took away points from the film because she was more distracting than immersed. The final few scenes of the film were so anti-climatic, too, with "Kate" pointing her gun at "Alejandro" yet again when she was warned not to, and the final soccer field scene. I understand what the director was attempting but it didn't measure up to the prior events. Really needs a more worthy ending if/when someone remakes it.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

dave741

Oct 17, 2015

I didn't liked this movie at all. Why ? Because , for me it was too much slow paced and i had a bit of difficulty to follow the scenario sometimes. I feel like the principal actress didn't have enough charisma. I was very bored at the theater and that's why it's a 0. Bad actors + BadI didn't liked this movie at all. Why ? Because , for me it was too much slow paced and i had a bit of difficulty to follow the scenario sometimes. I feel like the principal actress didn't have enough charisma. I was very bored at the theater and that's why it's a 0. Bad actors + Bad scenario + Slow Paced and boring.… Expand

7 of 55 users found this helpful748

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