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Sicario begins with a raid in Arizona – no knocking at the door, or even using a battering ram on it. They bash down the entire wall of the house! A grim discovery (which I don’t want to spoil here) leads to requiring a particular team that’ll go after the men behind this.
A nefarious man called Guillermo (Edgar Arreola) is just the start of it, but it’ll go up the chain to Manuel Diaz (Bernardo P Saracino) and then on to Fausto Alarcon (Julio Cedillo). Looking to put a stop to them are Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) and Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro), whose positions are unclear at first, but fresh from the raid, the young and idealistic Kidnap Response Team member Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) is recruited to join them for the mission. However, dealing with kidnapping cases is a far cry for someone so inexperienced – a fish out of water who doesn’t know what she’s really letting herself in for, and also comes across at times as rather a wet blanket. This is a lawless society which requires resillience. The question is – is she up to the task?
It’s best not to say too much, since Blunt’s character is also in the same boat at the start, and so you’ll learn along with her what’s happening and how it all pans out.
Also in the mix are the ‘Medellín’ Cartel – a sophisticated drug supplier network, which originated in Medellín, Colombia, which ran, primarily, throughout the 70s and 80s; a checkpoint stand-off on their way out of Juárez, Mexico; a number of other well-paced, unmissable set pieces; and some scenes where the camera is allowed to just sit and observe without needless fast-cutting.
Overall, with convicing performances from all concerned, including good support from Jon Bernthal, Victor Garber as Kate’s boss Dave Jennings, and Daniel Kaluuya – aka Tealeaf from Psychoville – as her FBI partner Reggie Wayne, this leads to Sicario being a solid two-hour thriller. Hence, it’s good news that Sicario 2 is in the planning.
Sicario is available to pre-order on Blu-ray and DVD, but the release date has yet to be confirmed. Also, click on the poster for the full-size image.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 121 minutes
Studio: Lionsgate UK
Year: 2015
Format: 2.35:1 (ARRIRAW (3.4K))
Released: October 8th 2015
Rating: 8/10
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Producers: Basil Iwanyk, Thad Luckinbill, Trent Luckinbill, Edward McDonnell and Molly Smith
Screenplay: Taylor Sheridan
Music: Jóhann Jóhannsson
Cast:
Kate Macer: Emily Blunt
Alejandro: Benicio Del Toro
Matt Graver: Josh Brolin
Dave Jennings: Victor Garber
Ted: Jon Bernthal
Reggie Wayne: Daniel Kaluuya
Steve Forsing: Jeffrey Donovan
Rafael: Raoul Trujillo
Fausto Alarcon: Julio Cedillo
Phil Coopers: Hank Rogerson
Manuel Diaz: Bernardo P Saracino
Silvio: Maximiliano Hernández
Burnett: Kevin Wiggins
Guillermo: Edgar Arreola
Silvio’s Wife: Kim Larrichio
Eliseo: Jesus Nevarez-Castillo
Delta Leader: Dylan Kenin
Delta #2: John Trejo
SWAT Officer: Marty Lindsey
Coroner (Phoenix): Alex Knight
Phoenix Cop: Rio Alexander
Air Force MP: Eric Steinig
Jacinta: Lora Martinez-Cunningham
Fausto’s Son #1: Julian Ortega
Fausto’s Son #2: Ian Posada
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.