Sicario, the 2015 thriller directed by Denis Villeneuve, is now available on BBC iPlayer, and viewers are describing it as so intense that they could not tear their eyes away from the screen. The film, whose title means "hitman" in Spanish, stars Emily Blunt as FBI agent Kate Macer, who is recruited by a mysterious government official, played by Josh Brolin, to join a covert task force aimed at bringing down a Mexican drug lord.
Plot and Cast
According to the film's synopsis, Kate, an idealist, discovers that the operation operates outside legal boundaries and is morally grey, if not outright illegal. Benicio del Toro plays Alejandro Gillick, a former Mexican prosecutor turned assassin, who leads the team in targeting one cartel boss to uncover an even larger one. The ensemble cast also includes Daniel Kaluuya as Reggie Wayne, a new FBI agent and Kate's partner.
Sicario holds a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score, with critics praising it as "a taut, tightly wound thriller with much more on its mind than attention-getting set pieces," led by outstanding work from Blunt and del Toro. The film received three Oscar nominations for Best Cinematography, Original Score, and Sound Editing.
Viewer Reactions
Audience reviews have been equally enthusiastic. One Letterboxd user wrote: "pretty much just held my breath for two hours straight what a RIDE." Another commented: "Never has a film kept me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning, but Sicario grabbed my throat and sparingly let me come up for air."
An IMDb user added: "One of those select few thrillers that will have your eyes stuck to the screen from the opening credits to the very end... I clearly recall never ever turning my head away from the film, this is how intense it is." On Rotten Tomatoes, one viewer called it "One of the best movies ever made IMO," while another wrote: "This movie is the definition of a masterpiece."
Where to Watch
The first two films of the Sicario trilogy are available on BBC iPlayer with a valid TV licence. Del Toro starred in the sequel Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018), and the final instalment, Sicario: Capos, is in development.
