Sicario is Denis Villeneuve’s latest masterpiece, the film is an evocative and gritty story of the USA’s war on drugs in Mexico. The film is littered with stars Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro, who bring the confronting themes of this epic tale to life and whisk in right as Academy Award season starts, to bring one of the most thrilling movies of 2015.
Kate Mercer (Emily Blunt) plays an FBI agent placed on the USA/Mexico border with CIA handler Matt Gravatt (Josh Brolin) who assist in operations just over the border. They are aided by a creepy and questionable “informant” Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) who are investigating and unveiling the war on drugs, and must cross the border into Mexico to reach a drug cartel.
This film may seem like it’s a stereotypically bloke film, but front and centre is the character of Kate and the US/Mexico border reflects in her character questioning her beliefs and what she will do. It is by far one of the most engaging experiences I have had at the movies this year, at first I thought it may have just been blockbuster exhaustion settling in, but the consistent character depth and plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat and begging for this movie to be longer than two hours.
The script by Taylor Sheridan consistently poses the question of what would I do in this situation, not enough to be distracting, but enough to make me think and continually ponder on this for hours after the screening.
Roger Deakin showcases the beautiful and dirty landscape with Oscar worthy cinematography that is a little too real for my liking. I felt dirty, a little frightened and completely engaged in this world that leaps off the screen. It sounds like I am gushing about this film, and to be honest I am completely unapologetic for that.
This film is an experience not to be missed, it feels like it has flown in a little under the radar at the end of the season, but is a strong contender for one of the best films of the year. This film will linger with you for days and leave a lasting impression that solidifies Villeneuve as one of our generation’s finest film makers. Blunt, Brolin & Del Toro all bring their A game here, delivering top performances that exist within this landscape.
Sicario is playing in cinemas now.
