Sicario builds tension through suspenseful orchestrated set pieces.

Rating: 8/10 (24 February 2018)

Let's face it, it has put me off going to Mexico...forever. Joking aside, the visceral gritty thrills portrays Juárez as cartel central. Whether or not the depiction is entirely accurate, it's hard not to be absorbed by the dark world that is perceived. A keen FBI agent is recruited by a mysterious individual tasked with targeting the head of a Mexican cartel. She encounters Alejandro who's motives are blurred and, with cartel members around every corner, paranoia starts to settle. Denis Villeneuve's cinematic direction, Taylor Sheridan's sharp script, Roger Deakins' beautiful cinematography and the late Jóhann Jóhannson's unsettling score are impeccable. A symphony of tension that is individually powered by electrifying technical components. It comes to no surprise that all of the above are outstanding, they each just make film making effortless. The perfect scene to illustrate my point is the night vision tunnel infiltration. Monochromatic night vision, bass heavy score, first person viewpoint and dialogue that could prepare a succulent fajita in seconds. Absolutely incredible, scenes like that are rare to find in modern thrillers. Then we come to Benicio Del Toro who portrays a very elusive character, to which is one of his best performances. His stance, his cutthroat dialogue and his death stare all blend together to create an utterly intimidating enigma. Do not mess with him! Josh Brolin, Emily Blunt and Daniel Kaluuya also bring their A-game. Several critics disagreed with the ending, however I found the tonal shift to work. The change in character focus which reveals true motives within the plot was seamless. What I do not agree with, is the use of Kate. As a protagonist, she was pointless and simply was a plot device which therefore meant I didn't connect with her. The incarnation of female empowerment she is not. This might be my least favourite Villeneuve film, but it's still impressive nonetheless. He has yet to put a foot wrong.