Intense, even when nothing is seemingly happening.

Rating: 9/10 (8 April 2016)

Just watched it on blu-ray (a really stripped release, at least here in the nordics, no extras at all which is a shame). Trying to gather my thoughts here.
"Sicario" isn't a tight story in the traditional sense. It's not focused on a single central character or point from the beginning to the end, but it's not a mosaic either. It's not like "Traffic" or "Crash" where stories of certain characters overlap. It's just a movie that shifts its focus at times without losing the big picture. And I must say that even if I'm not the biggest fan of movies that do this - because I want to focus on one thing only and let the story happen around that one thing - they really made it work.
In some ways, this is a disturbing movie. It doesn't run on shock value and the point isn't to burn horrifying images into the viewer's brain, but it's tense. Even when nothing is happening, I feel the tension. And when something happens, I feel the impact. This wouldn't happen if everyone didn't handle their parts well. Director Villeneuve, all the actors, cinematographer Deakins, the sound department - great job. Flawless execution. Writer Taylor Sheridan got on my "watch this guy's movies if you can" - list as well.
"Sicario" doesn't force-feed you anything. It prefers showing rather than telling, and Villeneuve knows how movie language works. Scenes are powerful in a way that few movies nowadays are, and every beat seems to have a purpose. It's a great movie to look at, too. Effective visuals all around.
This movie had a few nice surprises to it. So many times when I watch a thriller, I know what's going to happen five minutes before the fact. This isn't the case here, because the audience isn't treated like a bunch of idiots. And even when there are a few familiar moments, they're executed so well that I felt rewarded. Another surprise is how well the action was handled. It had real weight, real impact to it. Every moment mattered. I rarely see this kind of execution that puts many good action movies to shame. And this isn't even an action movie. I'm genuinely impressed.
About the actors. They nailed it, and the funny part is that they didn't really get to show their range as actors. They don't have much wiggling room. No Oscar bait performances here. It's almost monotone, but the little nuances are there, and they are powerful. Emily Blunt is at her best, as is Benicio Del Toro (who shows how intimidating he can be). Even Josh Brolin was very good. Blunt and Del Toro had amazing chemistry. There's a scene in the end between these two, and it's amazing in its almost stressing simplicity. We don't get to know much about the characters because the nature of this film - which is a little unfortunate - but we get enough. We get something to latch on to.
My only real gripe is this: "Sicario" is not about a tight or a personally compelling story, it's more about a series of events. Not a mess of events by any means, and it does paint exactly the kind of picture it aims for, but I guess it's just my preference to have it some other way. So while I wasn't personally as invested to the characters I would've wanted to, I do realize what they were going for and I think they succeeded.
This is a movie for movie lovers. It can be a little slow at times, so it's not a popcorn flick nor an action movie, but a really well executed film where even the little moments matter. Everyone involved brought their best. Definitely recommended.