‎Sicario (2015) directed by Denis Villeneuve • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd

Sicario

2015 Directed by Denis Villeneuve

The border is just another line to cross.

An idealistic FBI agent is enlisted by a government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.

Emily Blunt Benicio del Toro Josh Brolin Victor Garber Jon Bernthal Daniel Kaluuya Jeffrey Donovan Raoul Max Trujillo Julio Cedillo Hank Rogerson Bernardo P. Saracino Maximiliano Hernández Kevin Wiggins Edgar Arreola Kim Larrichio Jesus Nevarez-Castillo Dylan Kenin Sarah Minnich Matthew Page Lora Martinez-Cunningham John Burke John Trejo Vic Browder Eb Lottimer Marty Lindsey Alex Knight Rio Alexander Eric Steinig Matthew Tompkins Show All…

122 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by Mike D'Angelo ★★★★½ 37

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

83/100

Second viewing, no change. Having now professionally reviewed this film four times (for The Dissolve from Cannes, and then for the A.V. Club, the Nashville Scene, and the Las Vegas Weekly), I thought I had nothing left to say, especially since I made a point of addressing the most common criticisms. But since a bunch of folks are praising Adam Nayman's takedown for Reverse Shot, let me quickly address a few of his points.

“I have to know,” Kate tells her pal Reggie (Daniel Kaluuya), but there’s little urgency in the role or the performance—and almost none of the obsessive fervor that bled through Jessica Chastain’s porcelain features in Zero Dark Thirty.

A couple more paragraphs about Zero Dark…
Review by SilentDawn ★★★★★ 25

91/100

Sicario, not unlike its translation into "hitman", revolves around the act of stealth and the aura of tension it creates. Denis Villeneuve, teaming up again with master DP Roger Deakins, conjures up images of supreme darkness, but the true accomplishment comes not from horror within the now but from the foreboding blare of escalating dread.

It's nothing less than a sublime concoction, but one that decays as soon as familiarity is presented. With Deakins' soul-searing cinematography, Johann Johannsson's heart-exploding score, and Villeneuve's tracking mindset of "firecracker" pops and splattering eruption; Sicario is an experience that will enthrall any fan of artfully presented gloom, but its subtext and interconnected view of political systems will be even harder to shake.

Emily…
Review by Matt Singer ★★★★ 6

Remember the scene in BOOGIE NIGHTS where Alfred Molina is randomly tossing firecrackers at Mark Wahlberg and John C. Reilly? SICARIO is like that scene for two straight hours with no “Sister Christian.” It is intense.

TIFF '15 Review #2: screencrush.com/sicario-review-tiff/
Review by gabriel guimarães ★★★★★

The best episode of Narcos I have ever seen.
Review by Evan ★★★★½ 4

Sicario might mean Hitman in Mexico. But in my world, Sicario means intense as fucking shit!

Also, that night scene is the best video game movie we will ever get.
Review by Erik Nordgren ★★★★★ 4

god said let there be light and roger deakins said wait for my cue

Recent reviews

Review by schneeland ★★★ 1

Denis Villeneuve, einer der überschätztesten Regisseure des letzten Jahrzehnts, hat mit SICARIO endlich mal einen halbwegs guten Film hingelegt. Hier gelingt ihm sogar - halbwegs - die Einbindung seiner Figuren in den ausgedachten Plot.

Villeneuve ist ein Mann der Ideen, und die verfilmt er dann. Eine Geschichte zu erzählen, das gelingt ihm normalerweise nicht. Und Schauspieler kann er auch nicht. Dass das hier nicht ganz scheitert liegt an der ruhigen Präsenz seines Protagonisten Benicio del Toro und den warmen, großen Augen Emily Blunts. Frauen kann er freilich noch weniger als Männer, hier hatte er mit der Besetzung einmal Glück (siehe die Gurke ARRIVAL, ein Film, der auch gerne als philosophische Fingerübung überschätzt wird).

Nun ja, SICARIO ist ein Film, der ebenfalls menschenfeindlich und kalt ist, aber die beiden Anti-Helden retten die Sache einigermaßen. Das Timing ist natürlich, wie in allen Villeneuve-Filmen, ziemlich beschissen. Da muss man irgendwie durch.
Review by Charley Varrick ★★★½

Theatre
Review by MarekWaldorf ★★

Training Day at the border. Big disappointment.
Review by Harry ★★★★★

Still fricken brilliant.

I noticed so many extra things this time, like how Josh Brolin cracks a slight smile when he's first being introduced to Emily Blunt's character.

Also the psychological elements hit a higher peak of tension.

Can't wait to return to this another time, Denis is one of the best directors working today!
Review by sharkeyes ★★★★★

Intense.
Review by therealnoor ★★

I’ve never had so much anxiety while watching a movie like I had watching Sicario. Having an intense opening scene and suspenseful plot, it fell short of its objective at staying somewhat chill.
Review by Khaled ★★★★

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

Sicario (Hitman)
FBI agent go in a mission and finds dead hostages and bombs . Then she volunter to go in a mission to find the people who are behind it in the boarder of USA & Mexico .she goes with DEA she know nothing about him she doesn't know what is the object of this mission.we they about to leave they joined with thired man mystery man who looks sad with lot of anger inside of him . As the movie goes on we see the clues frome great dircting like showing emily blunt going up the stair and she looks to the man that give her his back , Anyway as the movie crack on we know that del…
Review by Andrew Etzweiler ★★★★½

Roger Deakins and Denis Villeneuve is the best D.P/Director combo you could ever ask for!
Review by Dave ★★★★½

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

Denis Villeneuve is easily one of my favorite directors of the modern age and this film is a prime example of why. The tension in this movie is full tilt bonkers. From moment one in the house of bodies right through the most brutal of executions I have ever seen in a film. Denis has a way of exploring dark themes in such an amazingly engaging and artistic way that I absolutely believe that he will be considered on of the true masters when we look back at this era of film making.

The entire cast is at expert level throughout in my opinion with Del Toro being the obvious standout in a roster of standouts.

I was riveted by this one and can't reccomend enough.