Sicario Movie Review (2015)
This movie got a lot of love around town, but I’m just not feeling it. That said, Benicio del Toro is a genius.
I try not to read too much about a movie before watching it, but sometimes it’s hard to filter everything out. Sicario is directed by Denis Villeneuve, so going in, I’ll admit that I had slightly higher hopes. Incendies (one of my top 12 films) and Arrival (another favorite) are both directed by him, so how could one not hope?
Well, in this case, I just didn’t connect. Sicario is about an FBI agent (played by Emily Blunt) who gets recruited by a secretive government agency to help battle the war on drugs being fought at the U.S./Mexico border. Here she meets two directors of the operation (played by Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro) and follows them into a world that, they explain, she will never understand.
Sicario is an action movie full of tension, guns, bullets, blood, death, and a bit of mystery. Some of the cinematography is fantastic and there are a few sequences (one in particular at the climax of the movie involving darkness, shadow, and Mr. del Toro) that are remarkable. I’m glad I got to see them.
That said, I never felt any emotion towards a single character in the movie. I wished that a specific child had a better father and I don’t love watching anyone get hurt in gun battles, but the entire time I basically felt like, “If that person gets shot, that will suck for them” and nothing more.
I can appreciate that this film got good reviews and I understand the narrative around a fantastic director and capable actors, but it just wasn’t for me. I gave it 3 stars for the mere fact that I have definitely seen better and worse movies. Emily Blunt plays the token female character in a world of men that she’ll “never comprehend,” and that is not her fault. That is how it’s written.
Benicio del Toro is the one standout in this movie. You never know if he is who he says he is, what his intentions are, or what he is going to do. And that piques your interest throughout the film. He is a brilliant actor that turned a part that could have been very standard into something much more. This movie is worth watching for this performance alone. But if you’re not an action fan and you have no interest in Benicio del Toro, though, you might want to move along to the next film on your list.
Runtime: 121 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: R
Languages Spoken In The Film: English and Spanish with English subtitles
Should You Watch It? Yes, if you really enjoy the action part of action movies. Plus, Benicio del Toro is fantastic.
Did I Cry? No, I felt absolutely nothing.
My Rating: 3/5 Stars
Available: Free on Netflix or to rent on Prime Video. It may also be available for free on other streaming platforms
