"Now you'll learn what's hell in Yankee land".

Rating: 10/10 (31 August 2016)

It's hard to imagine that the world of "Sicario" actually exists in the nether world of Mexican drug cartels. You hear about the escalating number of deaths attached to the drug trade and it's quite simply unthinkable. The Mexican Government itself estimates the number of homicides due to drug trafficking between 2007 and 2014 is a staggering one hundred sixty four thousand!
So it's not surprising to hear Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) consider that the war is already lost. But the good guys try to persevere as best they can, utilizing a drug kingpin of their own to infiltrate the top of the pyramid. Benicio del Toro is coolly effective as the assassin of few words avenging the death of his wife and daughters in the hell hole that is Juarez, Mexico. He sets the tone with FBI agent Kate Mercer (Emily Blunt) by telling her to keep her eyes open because "Nothing will make sense to your American ears".
With a goal of 'shaking the tree to create chaos', Graver's inter-agency task force pretty much boils down to a one man operation by the time Alejandro (del Toro) snakes his way into the Fausto Alarcon compound. There's something to be said for ruthless killers, and it's embodied in the person of Alejandro, who's sense of justice leaves no room for moral quandaries.
Best thing one can do as the viewer is play close attention because the delivery is sometimes fast and murky, and you have to make sense of some untenable situations. Director Denis Villeneuve weaves an intricate story line on the shoulders of his principal players and it works to dramatic effect. This is a thriller you shouldn't miss.