Sicario is a slow-burning, intense thriller that delivers on tension but falls a bit short when it comes to depth. The story follows an idealistic FBI agent thrown into the brutal world of cartel warfare, where the lines between right and wrong blur fast. The setup is great, and the film builds tension well, but the lack of depth in the cartel, who are the driving force behind the protagonist’s struggles, makes it hard to fully invest in the stakes. While some might appreciate the detached, shadowy approach to the villains, it left me feeling disconnected from the mission itself. Denis Villeneuve’s direction is top-notch, making every scene feel deliberate and atmospheric. The cinematography, led by Roger Deakins, is absolutely stunning, using light, shadow, and vast landscapes to create a haunting visual experience. The action sequences are raw and realistic, with a standout border crossing scene that might be one of the best in modern thrillers. The script, while solid in terms of structure, doesn’t fully flesh out the antagonists, making the conflict feel one-sided. The performances carry the film, with Emily Blunt doing a great job portraying a character out of her depth, even if her arc feels frustrating at times. Benicio del Toro is the real standout, bringing a cold, quiet intensity that dominates every scene he’s in. Josh Brolin nails his role as the laid-back but ruthless government operative, adding just the right amount of charisma. The score, composed by Jóhann Jóhannsson, is heavy and ominous, perfectly complementing the film’s mood. Overall, Sicario is technically brilliant, but its lack of depth in key areas holds it back from being truly great, for me, at least.

When a domestic mission goes quite spectacularly, if quite innovatively, wrong the enthusiastic but somewhat naive FBI agent "Kate" (Emily Blunt) is offered a chance to sign up for a team that's going to avenge things. It's to be run by "Graver" (Josh Brolin) and feature the strong, silent and enigmatic type that is "Alejandro" (Benicio Del Toro). She doesn't much like the look of him, indeed she finds the whole operation a bit dodgy but off to El Paso they go to try to stop the war against the increasingly well armed and successful drug cartels. Their objective is not to tinker with the mechanics of these operations, but to identify the kingpins and remove them from the board. What she (and we) soon realise is that this is one of those missions far more clandestine than it is lawful. Plenty of rules are stretched, ignored or just downright broken as their team must fight with the weapons of the enemy if they are to have any chance of tracking down their primary target - "Manuel Díaz" (Bernardo Saracino). What she also comes to realise quite quickly is that she is not fully briefed, indeed she is being drip fed information in a fashion that frequently drives her to want to throw in the towel. She prevails, though, and as the plot unravels we are all exposed to a ruthless, efficient and internecine network that is easily a match for it's theoretically better armed and informed pursuers. It's also at this stage that we appreciate that "Alejandro" does have his own agenda, and woe betides anyone who gets between him and his self-appointed task. Though Brolin is really neither here nor there here, this features a strong effort from Blunt as "Kate" comes to terms with some fairly profound challenges to her morals and principles. Del Toro doesn't have too much to say, but again he delivers well in his usual less-is-more style. Little dialogue just a menacing style of characterisation that you just know is only on her side until, well, he might not be. It hits the ground running and takes care to establish characters that are plausible, if not especially likeable, whilst showing us what might be as true an assessment of the war for control of the billion dollar narcotics industry as we'll have seen on a big screen.

Great cast performances! <em>'Sicario'</em> has a lot going in its favour, for example the cinematography and the sound design, but it is those onscreen that elevate this release up for me. Emily Blunt is excellent, Josh Brolin is very good himself. Benicio del Toro is, though, the strongest performer in my opinion, I thoroughly enjoyed watching him portray Alejandro. Elsewhere, neat to have Jon Bernthal involved, Daniel Kaluuya too. I will say that the film didn't totally enthrall me as much as I was anticipating/hoping it would, but that's not to take away from the fact that this is an entertaining movie and one that is definitely worth a watch. Looking forward to seeing what the sequels hold.