PProbably one of the best releases of 2015, Sicario, by Canadian director Denis Villeneuve, is a reflection on the geopolitics of drug trafficking in the years following the fall of the Colombian cartels. It's a story about crime and legality, arguing that justice is only achieved when driven by a powerful passion. Amidst all the machinery of English-speaking, imperial America, the law of an eye for an eye is the only solution to the unstoppable advance of drug gangs. A hopeless premise, which becomes devastating for those who dream of an ideal society, but useful for writing the screenplay of a thriller with a restrained and relentless pace.
SICARIO boasts a cast led by an impeccable Benicio del Toro, who plays the hidden protagonist, revealing his dramatic role gradually. The actor is the same one who, in 2014, portrayed a fictional Pablo Escobar, a role acclaimed by some critics and viewed with suspicion by others. Del Toro is one of those actors who, like Ricardo Darín or John Leguizamo, have become icons of what it means to be "Latino" on the big screen, thanks to one film at a time.
SICARIO belongs to a new type of suspense film, exemplified by the television series THE KILLING (2011) and, in the Hispanic world, the 2014 film LA ISLA MÍNIMA. These are slow-paced yet intense narratives that keep the viewer on the edge of their seat, supported by music with deep bass and cameras that move with slow, precise movements.