Sicario Is Super Sick! [Movie Review]

In Mexico, SICARIO means hitman. In Estados Unidos, it means critical acclaim.

After witnessing a story seemingly so authentic and compellingly told, we’ve spent days still mentally processing the characters, casting and plot lines in Sicario. Not since Traffic(2000) and No Country for Old Men(2007) has a film moved us this deeply. Perhaps not coincidentally, each of those films showcased an actor who also appears in this movie — Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin, respectively.

In the lawless border area stretching between the U.S. and Mexico, an idealistic FBI agent named Kate (played by Emily Blunt) is enlisted by an elite government task force official to aid in the escalating war against drugs. Throughout most of the film, Kate’s face remains still, but her throat and neck convey so much of the tension in the grittiest of scenes. She’s like an antelope in the wild, now trapped and uncertain of her surroundings or of what might happen next. As situations become increasingly more intense, you’ll find yourself focusing on the sinew of her neck. The muscles and tendons tighten as her chest rises and falls with heavy breath.

A truly violent motion picture, the unspeakable horror is that, for some citizens of both countries, this is a daily reality. Even more horrific, however, is how the unconventional methods to combat them are quietly condoned… by us. If you thoroughly enjoyed the television show, The Bridge(2013) on FX (and we certainly did), Sicario is The Bridge on ‘roids. This movie is most assuredly a must-see.

Starring Benicio Del Toro