---
title: "Sicario"
year: 2015
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/sicario"
fi1m_id: "sicario"
imdb_id: "tt3397884"
tmdb_id: 273481
wikidata_id: "Q17337292"
fi1m_score: 80
critics_score: 79
critics_reviews: 17
published: "2026-09-16"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:54.892322+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Sicario (2015)

Directed by Denis Villeneuve · 2h 02m · MPA R · Action, Crime, Thriller

## Identity

Sicario

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/sicario
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** sicario
- **IMDb ID:** tt3397884
- **TMDB ID:** 273481
- **Wikidata ID:** Q17337292
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3397884/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/273481, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17337292

**Fi1m score: 80** · Critics 79 from 17 reviews

*In a sentence:* Two hours of wanting someone to give Emily Blunt a straight answer, and hardly daring to breathe

> Denis Villeneuve makes an unnerving thriller about an FBI agent kept dangerously uninformed. Emily Blunt gives it someone worth worrying about, though the drug-war politics are thinner than the film’s solemnity suggests.

## Synopsis

FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) is drawn into an operation against the drug trade on the US–Mexico border. She wants to do her job within the law, but the people directing the operation keep her short of information. Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) and Alejandro Gillick (Benicio del Toro) work alongside her as she tries to establish what she has joined and what she is expected to do. Shoot-outs and interrogations expose her to methods she questions, while her attempts to get answers bring little reassurance.

## Review

Denis Villeneuve keeps us poorly informed and thoroughly alarmed in *Sicario*. He follows an FBI agent into a drug-war operation on the US–Mexico border, restricting our understanding to hers. This is a forceful thriller, worth watching for its performances and its careful preparation of violence, though its treatment of the drug war is frustratingly narrow. The uncertainty matters because the agent is meant to enforce rules that the operation seems willing to ignore.

Emily Blunt makes Kate Macer’s resistance credible even when Taylor Sheridan’s screenplay pushes her towards implausible innocence. She reacts to the danger without making the character merely helpless, and she continues to seem capable of doing her job. We care because her questions are sensible, even when asking them makes her look out of place. The writing leans too often on her surprise at the conduct of people she works with; the performance gives those reactions enough weight to keep the device working.

Josh Brolin’s Matt Graver is disconcertingly at ease, which makes Emily Blunt’s unease more persuasive. Benicio del Toro gives Alejandro Gillick a reserve that feels threatening without constantly advertising the threat. We want to know what these men know, partly because the agent does, partly because their confidence is so unsettling. The actors hold our attention through exchanges that the script might otherwise reduce to one person asking and another declining to answer.

Roger Deakins’ dusk photography makes us work to pick out possible threats in the half-light. We were anxious before the shooting started, because that effort made the waiting feel dangerous. Denis Villeneuve lets the apprehension build, then stages the violence clearly enough for us to follow what people are doing. The night-vision images change what we can see without providing much relief from the tension.

Editors Mary Lukasiewicz and Joe Walker preserve those stretches of anticipation instead of hurrying towards the gunfire. Jóhann Jóhannsson’s booming score presses hard on the nerves, and its insistence works during the tense operations. It can overstate the dread when the actors have already established it, however, and a little more silence would help. Patrice Vermette’s production design keeps the surroundings functional and unshowy, leaving the actors to make these places frightening.

The weakness is how often Taylor Sheridan lets moral alarm stand in for an account of what sustains the drug war. There is plenty of wrongdoing to recognise, but little context with which to test the film’s bleak assumptions about power. That becomes more frustrating across 122 minutes, particularly when the film expects its account of compromised law enforcement to carry weight. We are invited to recoil from the methods, with too little help understanding the system that rewards them.

As a crime thriller, *Sicario* is unusually good at making the approach to violence disturbing in its own right. Its command of pace, light and performance keeps familiar questions about compromised law enforcement from becoming routine, even when the answers are thin. We recommend it with that reservation, and with some admiration for how much suspense it extracts from an unanswered question. Watch it with someone who will want to talk afterwards.

*Fi1m score 80, published 16 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics greet Sicario as a tense, forceful thriller, with praise clustering around Denis Villeneuve’s control of suspense and Roger Deakins’ cinematography. The reviews repeatedly single out the carefully staged action and the atmosphere of uncertainty along the US–Mexico border, where violence is anticipated as keenly as it is felt. Emily Blunt’s combination of defiance and vulnerability earns particular praise, while Benicio Del Toro also draws strong notices for his unsettling performance.

The spread runs from considerable enthusiasm to qualified approval, with even the less persuaded critics admiring the technique. The main disagreement concerns how much the film has to say about the drug war beyond its bleakness: Little White Lies finds political depth and context lacking. Time Out questions whether the tension holds and finds the nihilism self-impressed. Blunt is another point of disagreement, with The New Yorker judging her miscast where most critics find her convincing.

## Straight answers

**Is Sicario worth watching?**

*Sicario* is worth watching for anyone who wants a crime thriller that makes the wait for violence as unsettling as the violence itself, and we scored it 80. Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro hold it together, and Roger Deakins' dusk photography keeps the nerves taut. Its account of what sustains the drug war is thin, so do not expect much explanation.

**How long is Sicario, and what is it rated?**

*Sicario* runs 2h 02m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is an action and crime film.

**Where can I watch Sicario in the US?**

*Sicario* is streaming on HBO Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and The Roku Channel in the US, and it is also available to rent from Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Sicario, and is it suitable for children?**

*Sicario* is a 15 certificate in the UK and R in the US, and it is not suitable for children. It contains shoot-outs and interrogations, and the film spends long stretches building dread before the gunfire arrives, which is likely to be harder on the squeamish than the shooting itself. Older teenagers used to adult thrillers should manage.

**How does Sicario compare to Traffic?**

*Sicario* is the narrower and more frightening of the two, while [*Traffic*](https://film.one/film/traffic) takes in far more of the drug trade and more lives caught up in it. Villeneuve keeps us as poorly informed as his FBI agent; Soderbergh moves between three strands and stops to make speeches in Washington. Pick *Sicario* for suspense, *Traffic* for scope.

**What should I watch after Sicario?**

After *Sicario*, try [*Touch of Evil*](https://film.one/film/touch-of-evil) (1958, Fi1m 88): Another border investigation where the people enforcing the law warrant close attention. Then [*Traffic*](https://film.one/film/traffic) (2000, Fi1m 82): A broader account of the drug trade, with more lives in view; and [*A Prophet*](https://film.one/film/a-prophet) (2009, Fi1m 86): A young prisoner’s education in power, watched with patience and little comfort.

### Reviews we read (24)

- **Radio Times**, Damon Wise (5/5): The critic calls it a dark, gripping narco-thriller that brilliantly conveys paranoia through Villeneuve's direction as the FBI agent is drawn into a world of bloodshed and duplicity on the US-Mexico border. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-9kfbs2/sicario/)
- **Empire**, Dan Jolin (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it an entirely brilliant thriller that keeps the audience in the dark alongside Blunt’s character while delivering intense shoot-outs and interrogations. He singles out the gorgeously crepuscular cinematography by Roger Deakins and its powerful visual metaphors for praise. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/sicario-review/)
- **Total Film**, Matt Glasby (85/100, inferred): The critic hails a border-line masterpiece that mixes cerebral and visceral thrills with A-game contributions from stars, director and screenwriter. He singles out one of the most exciting action sequences of the year and the film’s polygraph-test tension for particular praise. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/sicario-review/)
- **Vulture** (85/100, inferred): Villeneuve delivers a stupendously unnerving descent into moral chaos and the compromises of the drug war, with praise for Blunt's reactive performance, Deakins' visuals, and the director's pained but clear-eyed gaze. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2015/09/movie-review-sicario.html)
- **Screen Daily** (80/100, inferred): Sicario is described as a low-slung, challenging and engaging film about the dirty drugs war that is very dark yet exciting, with rock-solid upscale filmmaking from Villeneuve. It highlights the strong set pieces, performances especially from Blunt defying expectations, and its awards potential. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/sicario-review/5087432.article)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (70/100, inferred): The film sustains anxiety through set pieces and Deakins' cinematography but feels grim and humorless, with Blunt miscast as the protagonist in a morally murky drug war story. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/09/21/dark-places-cinema-lane)
- **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (60/100, inferred): The critic praises the shape-shifting performances, salty dialogue, gripping set-pieces and vivid Deakins cinematography but complains about the one-dimensional soundtrack, an unoriginal and morally dodgy third act, and the film’s reliance on torture. She notes the focus shifts away from the lead character. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/sicario-film-review-a-blunt-approach-to-the-war-on-drugs-a3086776.html)
- **Little White Lies**, Vadim Rizov (4/3/3): The critic finds the film a visceral, suspenseful technical achievement but criticizes its lack of political depth or context on the war on drugs. Villeneuve's direction excels at building menace and tension through visuals and sound. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/sicario)
- **Time Out**, Guy Lodge (3/5): The review praises the gripping opening and strong technique from Villeneuve and Deakins but notes the film struggles to sustain its intensity over two hours with few revelations. It is an involving, grown-up thriller whose nihilism can feel self-impressed. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/sicario)
- **IndieWire**, Ryan Lattanzio: The review describes the film as an impeccably styled but sadistic borderlands horror, focusing on its tense portrayal of the drug war and moral ambiguities. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/denis-villeneuves-sicario-is-an-impeccably-styled-sadistic-borderlands-horror-film-181045/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Mark Olsen: The film is a bracing action picture and examination of moral ambiguity in the drug war, elevated by strong performances from Blunt, Del Toro, and Brolin plus Deakins' cinematography. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-0918-sicario-review-20150918-story.html)
- **Slant Magazine**, Ed Gonzalez: The film conjures a relentlessly terrifying realm of despair through its score, cinematography, and existential view of the drug war, though the narrative only half-delivers on its themes of power and compromise. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/sicario/)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw: A great performance from Emily Blunt makes this well-staged story of FBI operations in the murky world of the US-Mexico borderlands a cut above the ordinary. The expertly choreographed set pieces and Roger Deakins' cinematography lift the action, with Blunt balancing defiance and vulnerability as the film's most believable character. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/oct/11/sicario-review-emily-blunt-star-quality-lifts-thriller)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy: The critic calls the film one of the most powerful and superbly made depictions of the inter-American drug trade's violence, praising Villeneuve's intensely physical direction, Deakins' cinematography, and standout performances especially from Blunt as the audience surrogate. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/sicario-cannes-review-796598/)
- **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott: Villeneuve makes movies about violence rather than merely violent ones, focusing on its preludes, aftermaths, and emotional impacts in the drug war along the U.S.-Mexico border. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/18/movies/review-sicario-digs-into-the-depths-of-drug-cartel-violence.html)
- **Variety**, Scott Foundas: Villeneuve delivers a blisteringly intense, suspenseful cartel thriller with expert action, strong performances, and moral ambiguity that forms a loose trilogy with his prior films. [Read](https://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/sicario-film-review-cannes-1201494744/)
- **Collider**, Adam Chitwood (A-): The critic calls it one of the year's best films for its smart, uncompromising portrait of the war on drugs and masterful intensity as a thriller. They single out the cinematography by Roger Deakins and the performances, especially Benicio Del Toro's complex role. [Read](https://collider.com/sicario-review-emily-blunt-josh-brolin/)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (90/100, inferred): Sicario is sensational and exceptionally well-made, with timely relevance, outstanding action set pieces, and strong performances that make it far more than a standard action film. A standout scene features Del Toro at a cartel family dinner, adding chilling authenticity alongside brilliant work from Deakins and composer Johann Johannsson. [Read](https://deadline.com/2015/09/sicario-review-emily-blunt-josh-brolin-benicio-del-toro-drug-cartel-1201534957/)
- **Den of Geek**, Ryan Lambie (4/5): The critic praises the film's intense suspense sequences and Benicio del Toro's terrifying performance but notes some mid-film slackening in tension. Overall, it is seen as another absorbing and unsettling piece of filmmaking from Villeneuve. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/sicario-review-2/)
- **Digital Spy**, Ben Rawson-Jones (4/5): The critic highlights Emily Blunt's credible and empathetic performance as the idealistic agent, along with the masterful peeling of Benicio del Toro's character layers and outstanding cinematography by Roger Deakins. It is described as a thoroughly engrossing watch that dazzles visually and connects emotionally. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a672575/sicario-review-emily-blunt-excels-in-a-gripping-cartel-thriller/)
- **HeyUGuys**, Jo-Ann Titmarsh (80/100, inferred): A tense, booming thriller about the drug war that maintains anxiety through masterful visuals, booming sound design, and strong performances from Blunt, Brolin, and del Toro. The protagonist's extreme naivety feels like a quibble in an otherwise brilliant, rule-breaking film. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/sicario-review/)
- **NME**, Olly Richards (4/5): The critic commends Emily Blunt's fitting lead role and Denis Villeneuve's masterclass in sustained tension, noting the film's tightly wound thriller elements and moral complexity. It leaves the viewer with plenty to consider about justice in a shifting world. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-various-artists-16284-309982)
- **The Wrap** (80/100, inferred): The film is an effective thriller and examination of shaky morality in the war on drugs, more successful than similar contemporaneous releases at balancing suspense with thematic depth. Villeneuve and cinematographer Roger Deakins deliver grimy intensity and vivid night-vision sequences amid the violence. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/sicario-review-emily-blunt-josh-brolin-benicio-del-toro/)
- **The Playlist**, The Playlist Staff (B): Superlatively strong in craft thanks to Deakins' cinematography and Jóhannsson's score, but underwhelming in story as a slow-burn procedural that builds to an unsatisfying ironic anticlimax. Excellent performances, especially from Blunt, compensate for familiar material and limited dramatic payoff. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/review-denis-villeneuves-sicario-starring-emily-blunt-is-a-slow-building-solid-procedural-20150916/)

## Details

- **Director:** Denis Villeneuve
- **Director:** Denis Villeneuve
- **Writer:** Taylor Sheridan
- **Cinematography:** Roger Deakins
- **Editor:** Joe Walker, Mary Lukasiewicz
- **Music:** Jóhann Jóhannsson
- **Production design:** Patrice Vermette
- **Costume design:** Renée April
- **Producer:** Thad Luckinbill, Edward L. McDonnell, Trent Luckinbill
- **Cast:** Emily Blunt as Kate Macer; Benicio del Toro as Alejandro Gillick; Josh Brolin as Matt Graver; Victor Garber as Dave Jennings; Jon Bernthal as Ted; Daniel Kaluuya as Reggie Wayne; Jeffrey Donovan as Steve Forsing; Raoul Trujillo as Rafael
- **Runtime:** 2h 02m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 2 October 2015
- **Genres:** Action, Crime, Thriller
- **Budget:** $30 million
- **Box office:** $85 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yfhu5JIxnZc

## Where to watch in the US

- HBO Max: streaming
- Hulu: add-on, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on
- The Roku Channel: add-on, hd
- Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd
- Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-16.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, MX, MY, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, SE, SG, TH, TR, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2016: Best Cinematography (nominated); Best Original Score (nominated); Best Sound Editing (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *Touch of Evil* (1958), Fi1m 88: Another border investigation where the people enforcing the law warrant close attention. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/touch-of-evil.md)
- *Traffic* (2000), Fi1m 82: A broader account of the drug trade, with more lives in view. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/traffic.md)
- *A Prophet* (2009), Fi1m 86: A young prisoner’s education in power, watched with patience and little comfort. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-prophet.md)
- *Elite Squad* (2007): Brazilian police violence examined with an aggression that demands a sceptical eye.
- *The Battle of Algiers* (1966), Fi1m 93: Urban conflict staged with precision, and political questions given room to matter. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-battle-of-algiers.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/sicario