Composer Jóhann Jóhannsson’s haunting electronic beats pulsate in the background of Sicario like war drums, almost in sync with the core of your heart, slowing raising tempo until your pulse quickens to match the anxiety levels of Kate Macer (Emily Blunt); a fresh FBI agent who could catch a bullet, or lose a limb at any moment…if she’s lucky.  

Kate may as well be a young buck partnering with old cougars, bears, and wolves; experienced warriors who deliberately keep her in the dark. There is Matt Graver (Josh Brolin), an elite government task force official who wants to achieve his objective even it means siding with a few snakes along the way. There is the mysterious Alejandro (Benicio del Toro), a seemingly harmless former Columbian prosecutor who turns out to be a one-man army driven into chillingly clinical violence by his bloodlust. Finally, there is a pair of cowboy hat-wearing U.S. Marshals, as well as an American Delta Force unit, which after touring warzones has been placed under the command of Matt Graver.

These warriors hunt a seemingly untouchable hydra; a Mexican drug lord who commands loyalty through brutal violence. His enemies have seen their wives beheaded, their daughters tossed in acid. Tortured, mutilated corpses decorate this king’s territories like horrific ornaments on a Christmas tree. His warriors, bald and tattooed, eyes bloodshot, sweat pouring from every pore, would rather take the chance on a suicidal shootout than risk returning in failure. This is for the sake of the lives of their wives, daughters and sons for whom a simple execution would be merciful.

Sicario argues that in such a bleak world, barbaric villains only take advantage of the laws of the civilized world, and hence can only be tackled without the limitation of rules

Kate joins this special taskforce after losing a few of her own young bucks in an FBI raid at the beginning of the film. It is a chance to get even. To her fury, she soon discovers how this operation is breaking multiple international laws, yet she continues out of curiosity even though it burns at her morale fibre. Why are Matt and his men hitting a drug tunnel of all things? Why did they recruit a fish out of water like Kate? The mystery is at the heart of the film’s compelling narrative.

The performances here are scintillating. The two leads, Brolin, and del Toro, are tremendous as men hardened by their professions. But neither holds a candle to Emily Blunt’s powerful turn as the highly emotive moral compass of the group. Unfortunately, Blunt’s character, as emotionally rich as she is, is also something of a cliché, soon relegated from tough FBI agent to damsel in distress mode.

As far as social commentary is concerned, Sicario takes some interesting stances. It argues that in such a bleak world, barbaric villains only take advantage of the laws of the civilised world, and hence can only be tackled without the limitation of rules.

At the very least, Sicario should earn some Oscar nominations in the technical categories. Editor Joe Walker adds frantic and sometimes claustrophobic energy while Roger Deakins’ arresting cinematography captures teeming Mexican cities and the barren desert wasteland with mastery. 

Particularly captivating is an action sequence shot in the dark, presented through both night and heat vision, where the blood and guts are served with a large side order of nausea, tension, and fear. Yes, at times the gun and knife fights of Sicario evoke the same feelings as a horror film. This should come as no surprise to fans of Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners), a French-Canadian director who clearly has a gift for getting under your skin.

Rated R for strong violence, grisly images and language

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, September 25th, 2015

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