7.6/10
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541 user 516 critic

Sicario (2015)

Trailer
1:01 | Trailer
An idealistic FBI agent is enlisted by a government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.

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152 ( 52)
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 150 nominations. See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Ted
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Steve Forsing
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Rafael (as Raoul Trujillo)
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Manuel Diaz
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Silvio (as Maximiliano Hernandez)
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Burnett
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Guillermo
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Silvio's Wife
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Storyline

When drug violence worsens on the USA Mexico border, the FBI sends an idealistic agent, Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) on a mission to eradicate a drug cartel responsible for a bomb that had killed members of her team. Written by Gusde

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

The border is just another line to cross.


Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, grisly images, and language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

|

Release Date:

2 October 2015 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Borderline  »

Filming Locations:

 »

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Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$401,288, 18 September 2015, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$46,889,293

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$84,872,444
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

| | | (DTS: X)

Color:

| (surveillance footage)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The thermal vision shots were filmed with a FLIR SC8300 thermal vision camera; they were not added in post-production. See more »

Goofs

Matt Graver randomly appears with different hair colors. Back-and-forth between a young man's dark brown hair devoid of gray, sometimes the "salt and pepper" a 50-ish year old man; and sometimes heavier gray streaked throughout. See more »

Quotes

Title Card: The word Sicario comes from the zealots of Jerusalem, killers who hunted the Romans who invaded their homeland. In Mexico, Sicario means hitman.
See more »


Soundtracks

Cowboy's Duty
Written by Aron Leigh, Phil Barton & Mike Ulvila
Performed by Aron Leigh
Courtesy of Watsky Music, LLC
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User Reviews

 
Tense, intelligent drama, with thriller overtones
24 September 2015 | by See all my reviews

The badlands of the US - Mexico border and the viciousness of the drug trade running across it sets the background and the tone for this movie. It's grim. Human life is very cheap and the movie doesn't flinch from showing consequences. There are definitely some scenes that are not for the faint hearted, but there is nothing gratuitous here. If anything - despite the subject matter - the film goes out of its way to avoid Hollywood heroics.

Emily Blunt does an amazing job portraying Kate Macy, a career policewoman heading a SWAT team. Her accent slips slightly a couple of times, but otherwise she's utterly believable as born and raised in the deep south of the US. Kate is a fundamentally decent, honorable human being, trying to the right thing in a world where the rule book doesn't seem to work any more. She's smart, tough, and experienced - but right from the start of the movie, it's clear that she's in over her head.

The tension never lets up. An attack could come at any moment, from any direction. Anything could be a trap. All of it, no matter how extreme something is, plays as real. The director manages scenes expertly to avoid any clean and easy action movie clichés, and it pays off enormously as the movie goes on.

It's also a highly intelligent movie, made for an intelligent audience. It doesn't lay things out on a plate. Instead you have to pay attention and you have to think, just as Kate has to - because her first mistake could be her last.

Staging, costuming, sets, cinematography, and lighting are all perfect. Some airborne shots in particular stand out as both daring and stunningly original, clearly showing just how harsh the landscape is, while managing to propel the story forward - without showing anyone, no less. This part of the movie is in the "As good as it gets" category. The only part that I didn't like (and the reason that this doesn't get a 10 from me) was the music. It's used deliberately to heighten tension during some scenes which would otherwise break the feel of the movie, and generally it's done well, but some scenes are spoiled with a There Will Be Blood styled screech. It's really not needed, especially since Sicario's own score manages to build or maintain tension quite successfully in other parts of the movie while remaining low-key.

To my mind, this is much more of a drama than it is a thriller. It's certainly not an action movie. The acting from the support cast is exactly what it needs to be - good in general, and great when a minor character is the focal point - but look closely at how much Benicio del Toro manages to do with no dialogue and not even all that much movement. Simply amazing.

This is a great movie to see if you want to be challenged.


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