Emily Blunt is ‘outstanding’ in the cartel thriller (Image: Lionsgate)
Oddly enough, despite countless films and television programmes available at our fingertips, finding something to watch can be a chore. There is just simply too much to choose from, but for those in the mood for an all-time gripping thriller, one film stands head and shoulders above the rest — and you don’t even need Netflix.
Sicario, translating to “hitman” in Spanish, has a sea of impressed viewers, and it’s conveniently on BBC iPlayer. Actress Emily Blunt portrays FBI agent Kate Macer who lands a prestigious assignment. Macer is enlisted by a mysterious government official (portrayed by Josh Brolin) to become part of a shadowy operation to take down a Mexican drug cartel boss.
Daniel Kaluuya also stars in the thriller as an FBI agent (Image: Lionsgate)
The film commands a 93% Rotten Tomatoes rating, with reviewers noting: “Led by outstanding work from Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro, Sicario is a taut, tightly wound thriller with much more on its mind than attention-getting set pieces.”
The plot of Sicario
“Operating outside legal boundaries with a CIA handler and a mysterious fixer, she discovers the mission’s true purpose goes far beyond what she was told,” states the film’s synopsis.
Benicio del Toro plays a major role Alejandro Gillick, a former Mexican prosecutor turned hired killer, who spearheads the team’s pursuit of one drug lord to expose an even more powerful one. Kate, an idealist, realises that the operation’s tactics are morally grey at best, if not outright illegal.
The supporting cast also features Daniel Kaluuya as a rookie FBI agent who is Kate’s partner, along with Victor Garber and Jon Bernthal.
Sicario, released in 2015, is helmed by Denis Villeneuve, the director responsible for Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, and the Dune trilogy. The film earned three Oscar nominations, namely Best Cinematography, Original Score and Sound Editing.
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Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro in Sicario (2015), now on BBC iPlayer (Image: Lionsgate)
What viewers are saying
One breathless reviewer on Letterboxd wrote: “pretty much just held my breath for two hours straight what a RIDE”.
Another commented: “Never has a film kept me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning, but Sicario grabbed my throat and sparingly let me come up for air. “
Over on IMDB, one viewer noted: “One of those select few thrillers that will have your eyes stuck to the screen from the opening credits to the very end, and I mean that literally: I changed my sitting position many times during the film, yet I clearly recall never ever turning my head away from the film, this is how intense it is.”
They added: “I truly marvel at how this film is so tightly put together and even despite it faults, which it has, especially in script, it just never gives you a chance to breathe and take it all in, thanks to the atmosphere that is established from shot one until the last one, you are always anticipating something’s going to happen and that is the sign you are watching a great thriller. You are always on the edge of your seat and in some occasions you are really biting your knuckles. The movie has a way to throw you into the action that is really rare to find, especially in a highway sequence where I literally felt I was there.”
On Rotten Tomatoes, one enthusiastic viewer remarked: “One of the best movies ever made IMO. Have seen it many times.”
“This movie is the definition of a masterpiece,” another commented. “Brilliant casting, epic cinematography and direction, insightful and intelligent story, and incredible action. Anybody not giving it a positive review should stick to watching Barbie. Although Benecio and Brolin are incredible, it is Blunt that really gives the story it’s driving force.”
Where to watch the film.
The first two movies of the Sicario trilogy can be streamed on BBC iPlayer. The sequel, Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018), stars del Toro. The last film, Sicario: Capos, is currently in development.
