‘Sicario’ intensity leaves audience squirming

Benicio Del Toro steals the show in a drug-based crime drama

Story by Adam WinnStaff writer

Photo courtesy of AMC Movie Views Emily Blunt as Agent Macer in Denis Villenueve’s ”dark poem” of an action film.
Photo courtesy of AMC Movie Views
Emily Blunt as Agent Macer in Denis Villenueve’s ”dark poem” of an action film.

The brutal yet satisfying film “Sicario” is a crime drama based around the mental and physical effects of the “war on drugs” on individuals and society as a whole.

The movie focuses on an FBI agent named Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) who is recruited to be part of a government task force responsible for eliminating the drug trafficking around the  U.S.-Mexico border.

A mysterious man named Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) leads the task force and the even more mysterious agent Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) assists him in doing so.

Agent Macer goes into this new position not fully aware of what part she’s supposed to play and what her real involvement is in this secretive task force, but she soon realizes that not everything is how it appears.

The film delves deeper into its message of the murkiness between what’s right and wrong and what people are truly capable of when push comes to shove.

“Sicario” gives off an uneasy feeling. It makes the audience squirm with the brutal message that it wants its viewers to take away. The movie holds a tight grip on the viewer’s attention, not once feeling uninteresting or too drawn out.

One factor that adds to the film’s grim ambiance is the perfectly crafted soundtrack. Most scenes contain some kind of somber beat or sound added to make the audience more uncomfortable with every passing minute.

The film contains outstanding acting from the entire cast, especially by Blunt and Del Toro.

Blunt’s award-worthy performance as Macer is captivating. She portrays this character as a tough, calculated individual who also possesses a sad and lonely quality. Her character is clearly the smartest person in the male-dominated cast.

But she’s consistently left in the dark about what her overall objective is in this task force.

Even with Blunt’s spectacular lead performance, it was Benico Del Toro’s supporting character, Alejandro, who stole the show.

There is a methodical obscurity surrounding his performance, and he does this while still giving off this quiet, unnerving intensity throughout the film.

As the movie’s plot progresses, his motivations become clear for why he acts the way he does. The guy is definitely not someone anybody would want to be left alone with for any period of time.

Leaving the theater, the viewer will still be left contemplating the film’s message and what it is exactly that they just watched.

Comparing this film and the recently released crime drama “Black Mass,” both films are great, but this film wins hands down in every way possible. 

This is one of the year’s best movies so far and definitely not one that should be missed.

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