A decade before he was helming the galactically huge "Dune" franchise and she was starring in billion-dollar blockbusters like "Oppenheimer," director Denis Villeneuve and actress Emily Blunt worked together on a harrowing crime thriller called "Sicario."
And while the cartel drama didn't quite reach the box office heights of those other titles, it became a bit of a sleeper hit with audiences thanks to its moody atmosphere, adrenaline-pumping action sequences and top-notch acting performances.
So it's not a total surprise that all these years later, "Sicario" has found its way onto Netflix’s top 10 list this past week, coming in at No. 8 after more recent titles like "Venom: The Last Dance", "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" and "Sonic the Hedgehog 2".
"Sicario" is happily finding a new audience on the streaming service but unlike those other high-ranking movies, this is no clear-cut story of good guys versus bad guys — instead, moral murkiness abounds, leaving the film's viewers just as questioning as its characters.
Now that the Villeneuve-directed drama is in the top 10, is it something worth streaming on Netflix? Here’s everything you need to know about "Sicario" and whether it should be added to your watchlist.
What is 'Sicario' about?
After rising through the ranks of her male-dominated profession, idealistic FBI agent Kate Macer (played by Blunt) is enlisted by a mysterious CIA officer Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) to bring down the leader of a powerful and dangerous Mexican drug cartel.
Led by the secretive Alejandro Gillick (a standout Benicio Del Toro) — a Mexican ex-prosecutor turned CIA-trained assassin — and with Blunt's Kate acting as the audience proxy as we delve deeper into the brutal and corrupt cartel world, the government task force heads down to the "lawless" stretch of land between the United States and Mexico, where Kate horrifyingly realizes that the law is broken on both sides of the border and that nothing is ever quite what it seems.
Why should you watch 'Sicario' on Netflix?
Tensely paced, tragic and full of moral quandaries, "Sicario" quickly became a favorite of both film critics as well as awards bodies.
The gripping thriller was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for three Academy Awards, with particular praise for its original score by Jóhann Jóhannsson, sound editing by Alan Robert Murray and stunning cinematography by the great Roger Deakins.
Del Toro was BAFTA-nominated for his spine-chilling acting in the film, while Blunt received a Critics' Choice Award nod for her own brazen work. And beyond those main characters, the "Sicario" ensemble is packed with some real-deal acting heavyweights like Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya, theater great Victor Garber and Emmy-winning "The Bear" star Jon Bernthal.
There was also, deservedly, plenty of love showered on the film's memorable lead performances. On Rotten Tomatoes, where the film has a stellar approval rating of 92%, the site's critical consensus reads: "Led by outstanding work from Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro, 'Sicario' is a taut, tightly wound thriller with much more on its mind than attention-getting set pieces."
In the mood for something else? Check out our guide on all of the movies and TV shows coming to Netflix this March.
Stream "Sicario" on Netflix now.
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