Denis Villeneuve is a breath of fresh air to Hollywood. It feels as if every new film that comes out, nowadays, lacks even more originality than the previous. Villeneuve, however, is one of the few filmmakers that keep Hollywood from going completely off the wagon. His 2013 film Prisoners was one of the most creative films I have seen Hollywood generate in a long time and his latest film Sicario doesn’t wander too far away. Although, Sicario is violent, it isn’t a pointless action flick that we have seen one too many times. It is a portrayal of corruption and brutality in the relations between the U.S. and Mexico’s many drug cartels. Emily Blunt is sensational and Josh Brolin is as good as ever, but Benicio Del Toro gives one of the greatest and grittiest performances in the history of film.

   The film follows Kate Macer (Blunt), an FBI Special Weapons Agent, who stumbles upon one of the largest body piles ever found during a raid of a cartel house in Arizona. A large blast at the sight leaves most of the agents injured and two dead. Macer is then brought to the attention of Matt Graver (Brolin) and a group of Delta Force operators, who are leading a mission in El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico to find the cartel members responsible for the large blast and body pile in Arizona. One of the men responsible is a cartel leader named Manuel Diaz, a fictional El Chapo. With the help of Alejandro Gillack (Del Toro), a former Colombian lawman, the operation is determined to find the cartel leaders. Macer feels as if she if she is making a difference in the world, but the reality is far more painful to bear.

   Sicario is an excellent film. The cinematography and direction are exceptional, but the story will leave you on the edge of your seat. The reality of the film is haunting to the viewer and like Prisoners will leave you in awe, but that is the art of great storytelling. The film has a meaning, which is worth every penny to seek out, but I’ll leave it to you to find.