One can easily ignore the film’s ambitious subtext and enjoy it strictly on the basis of its terrific performances and nonstop intensity.

At times...a deeply satisfying, intense examination of a war with no rules of engagement, driven by a spectacular performance by Benicio Del Toro and typically mesmerizing cinematography from Roger Deakins.

While Sicario may be guilty of exoticising the “murder capital” reputation of Juárez and its environs, it does so in a way that is horribly efficient, exploiting our anxieties and expectations with cruel precision.

Sicario may at times be a gruelling test of your sensibilities but it is an entirely brilliant thriller.

Villeneuve laver ikke nødvendigvis film, der skubber til filmkunsten, men han kan gøre selv den mest fortærskede historie til sin egen. ‘Sicario’ er endnu et effektivt fix.