Review of Sicario (2015) by Thebloodraven — 30 Dec 2015

Sicario was a superb film that I heavily enjoyed from start to finish. Emily Blunt smashes her role as a morally conscience FBI agent with a need to hunt down the bad guys. The films overall tone is gritty and dark, highlighting the harsh reality of the violence and horror that occurs in the modern world of America as well as parts of Mexico.

Benicio Del Toro nails it as a mysterious and deadly antagonist and this really shines in his scenes with Blunt, conveying an underling light vs dark and good vs evil theme. Sicario's cinematography is brilliant.

The film is definitely one of the best looking of 2015 with vibrant and colorful backdrops, juxtaposing heavily with the dark scenes transpiring in the foreground. Josh Brolin and Daniel Kaluuya also are strong supporting actors, both providing the film with a heightened sense of urgency as well as a balanced level of comic relief which doesn't take away from the films overarching narrative.

Sicario is a well written story, however the film does fall short in some scenes with slow moving plot points and a handful of unnecessary scenes. Nonetheless, Sicario deserves praise for a gripping story, stellar and intense action pieces, strong performances in most characters as well as a chilling finish which will leave viewers on the edge of their seats.