Denis, Deakins, Blunt, Benicio, Brolin.

Rating: 8/10 (23 October 2019)

And each reigns in their own way. One of the few thrillers in recent memory that does not drag, does not quiver, and firmly pulls the trigger only when needed. Blunt turns out one of the best performances of her eclectic career, with her go-getting, no-nonsense, (and frankly, blunt) character who ends up near-buried under the enmity of the Mexican drug war. Denis Villeneuve does not shy from showing the seemingly sempiternal rough edges of this world, highlighted exquisitely by a tracking shot through the Juárez slums, and a following scene at the border crossing which rivals the tension in the opening of "Inglorious Basterds" and "No Country for Old Men"'s coin toss. Deakins produces the best shots of the year, and Del Toro's frightening Alejandro steals the scene on several occasions. Much praise has to be placed on the writer, Taylor Sheridan, as scripting something original that is both taut and question-raising is certainly little seen nowadays. An excellent film.