An FBI agent gets sucked into the violence and corruption that infests and infects the war on drugs.

Rating: 9/10 (12 December 2015)

Sicario is a film that packs a punch and doesn't mind fighting without gloves on. Meaning hit-man in Mexico, Sicario tells the story of three lawmen, hit-men, soldiers and consciences working their way through the streets of morality and legality in an effort to put a stop to the war on drugs. Emily Blunt plays the lawmen and conscience of the film, with Josh Brolin and Benecio Del Toro playing smoke and mirrors on the streets of Juarez wearing masks of lawmen and soldiers in order to regain control over the underground drug trafficking that has filtered over the border.
From the first scene Sicario comes out of the gate swinging, jostling your senses with a gorgeously timed house raid that plays out some thematic elements of action and horror that quickly let you know you aren't in for a singular note in this crescendo of movie making magic. After witnessing a few dozen bodies piled in between the walls of a suburban home in Arizona, we're quickly taken over the border, accompanied by Johann Johannsson's thumping drone and neo-classical score that gets your heart rate beating and demonstrates an amazing control over suspense. Not a stranger to crafting a story out of a simple notion, with Prisoners telling the tale of a family dealing with the kidnapping of their daughter, Denis Villeneuve manages to layer his film with enough tension, gritty action and dimly lit atmosphere that he makes setting a masterwork seem obvious.
Benecio Del Toro is no stranger to this character, showing elements from Way of the Gun, Traffic and Che, but watching him slip into the quiet he brings to these roles is something else. His character is a man seeped in mystery, control and intensity that is handled with such grace that when Alejandro, who is clearly haunted by something, springs into action it's like watching a lion sneak up on a gazelle. Emily Blunt has quickly become the new Sigourney Weaver with her silent strength and hard edge that soon unravels to expose a tattered soul that beats with a heart only an actor of her caliber could bring. The chemistry these two actors bring to their characters and the relationship that unfolds between them is beautiful and terrifying, and something that plays into the story amazingly well.
Seeing Sicario is witnessing a melding of genres and a dance of characters from actors at the top of their game. With a pulse pounding score that shifts each scene into place with subtle ease and cinematography by Roger Deakins continually pushing the audience forward, Denis Villeneuve's latest film is one that shouldn't be missed. Sicario is a film that should be applauded and heralded for utilizing film as a multifaceted tool, giving us a work of cinematic depth and beauty.