Movie Review - Sicario: Day of the Soldado

In October 2015, I gave the first Sicario movie 3.5 stars out of 5. Since then, people have asked me why I gave such a "low" rating to that movie - in their opinions, it was worthy of a 4 or even 5 star rating. I remember the film being slow, but there were certain scenes in the movie that I still remember, almost 3 years later. Sicario: Day of the Soldado is more fast-paced, and I enjoyed it more than the first one, though I'd now like to rewatch that one.

Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) is a sicario, or a "hitman" - he technically works for the DEA, but his allegiance swings every which way. Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) calls him up one day because he wants to start a war between two gang families; to do that, they will kidnap Isabel Reyes (Isabela Moner), the daughter of one of the kingpins. While the kidnapping goes off without a hitch, the events that follow do not, and Matt soon needs to figure out where his allegiances truly lie.

Other supporting actors in the film included Catherine Keener, as another agent who gives Matt's character some orders that he does not want to follow, as well as Jeffrey Donovan (TV's Burn Notice) as a colleague of Matt's. It's hard to choose who is more of a standout here, between Brolin and Del Toro, as they are both excellent in their roles; Moner, as the kidnapped daughter, is also very good.

Yes, see this movie. It's definitely a hard-R rating—there is a lot of violence and swearing—but if you've seen the first Sicario, that shouldn't really be surprising. My only qualm with the movie is that the ending was a bit abrupt, but I also liked how it brought the entire film full-circle; you'll have to decide for yourself if you're a fan of the ending or not. The soundtrack in the film, similar to the first installment, gives you a sense of dread, too, and helps contribute to the "slow burn" that the movie continuously aspires (and succeeds in) achieving.

Sicario: Day of the Soldado is in theaters today, June 29th, and is rated R with a runtime of 122 minutes. 4 stars out of 5.

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