Intense Film That Puts You In The Fight Against Drug Cartels

Rating: 9/10 (26 February 2017)

Director Dennis Villeneuve crashed the Hollywood directors scene in 2013 with the brutal (yet spectacular) "Prisoners". Later that same year, he crafted the ingenious mind-bender "Enemy". After those two films, I knew I had to see what he would come up with next. "Sicario" is a much different kind of movie than those previous two, but even so it still manages to showcase Villeneuve's talents behind the camera.
For a basic plot summary, "Sicario" is a story about the Mexican drug cartels. Kate Mercer (Emily Blunt) is a cop who deals with the drug problems caused by the cartels every day. After one particularly frustrating operation, Kate is given the opportunity by her boss (Josh Brolin) to strike at the heart of the problem in Mexico itself. This is a big-time operation, with the decisions being made in it equally as complex. Along for the ride is Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro), a shadowy figure you get the feeling isn't quite who or what he seems.
"Sicario" is a solid movie on two levels:
First, it really captures the tension of the drug cartel scene. It's like those kind of episodes from "Breaking Bad", but ratcheting up the intensity tenfold. This genre is not usually my cup of tea in the least, but there is such an atmosphere of tension that I couldn't help but be sucked into the action. There are scenes, like a tense border crossing and a shootout in dug-out cartel tunnels, that will literally have you on the edge of your seat. Not a boring moment in the entire film.
Secondly, and perhaps equally as important, Villeneuve is able to take such a serious topic and layer great character narratives on top of it. There are even multiple surprises along the way, including an ending that you won't see coming and would traditionally seem out of place for a typical film of this subject matter. That's why I'm being pretty tight-lipped about the plot, as I don't want to spoil anything. When was the last time you had to worry about spoilers for a drug cartel film?!
Thus, I have to say that "Sicario" was a great success for Villeneuve, as it proves that his unique style can translate into pretty much any kind of cinema format. He's that savvy. This is a great, tense, film that will hold your interest and never let it wane even for a moment. It doesn't matter if you prefer action, narratives, twist, etc., as "Sicario" provides them all in equal value. I'm very excited to see what this relatively new director can pull out of his bag of tricks next!