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Sicario

Sicario

The border is just another line to cross.

2015121 minRMidcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Director
Denis Villeneuve
Starring
Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, Victor Garber

An idealistic FBI agent is enlisted by a government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Sicario?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Sicario streaming on HBO Max and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Sicario?

Sicario earns 11 badges, led by Modern classic and Top 5% of films.

Show 3 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Sicario worth watching?

Sicario's Midcredits score is the 97th percentile of all films, from 1.6M ratings across 6 sources. 86% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

97th percentile

Better received than 97% of films

98th percentile among Action97th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)95th
Approval (how many liked it)96th

78 /100

95th percentile of all films

98th percentile among Action95th percentile among 2010s

Critics 82 · Audience 78

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

86% liked it

96th percentile of all films

97th percentile among Action96th percentile among 2010s
86% rated it 7–1014% rated it 1–6

Critics 91% · Audience 85%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 3 Oscar noms · 9 wins / 89 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Cinematography
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score

92nd percentile

1.6M ratings across platforms

85th percentile among Action92nd percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 13% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$30M
Opening weekend$401K
Domestic gross$47M
Worldwide gross$85M

Returned 2.8× its budget — 83rd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A tense, well-crafted thriller about the brutal, morally murky war on drugs at the US-Mexico border.

Fans praised

  • Roger Deakins' stunning cinematography
  • Jóhann Jóhannsson's haunting, tension-building score
  • Benicio Del Toro's quiet, intense, scene-stealing performance

Detractors panned

  • Emily Blunt's character is useless, naive, and has no agency
  • Weak, predictable plot with little story depth
  • Slow pacing that drags and fails to deliver payoff

What stands out

Cinematography95

Deakins' masterful use of light, shadow, and landscape

AtmosphereDivisive90

Relentless dread and gritty, immersive tone praised by fans

Sound and music90

Jóhannsson's score is a key tension-builder; sound design called immersive

Acting85

Del Toro is standout; Brolin and Blunt are praised by fans, detractors call Blunt miscast/whiny

TensionDivisive85

Edge-of-seat suspense in key sequences; detractors find it flat

CharactersDivisive55

Kate seen as naive and purposeless by detractors; Alejandro praised as mysterious and compelling

PacingDivisive55

Slow-burn tension praised by fans; detractors find it boring and drawn-out

Plot and storyDivisive50

Simple/derivative story with predictable twists; fans enjoy the ambiguity and moral murkiness

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 22 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 4 points apart
  • US vs non-US 3 points apart

Watch experience

What is Sicario like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense and leaves you unsettled. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
DreadTenseCold
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Bleak · 8% of filmsBrooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Brutal · 7% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film holds its material with unflinching seriousness, presenting the brutality and moral ambiguity of the drug war without irony or levity.
The rideFrom the opening raid to the final standoff, the film sustains a high pressure of dread and tension, only briefly punctuated by moments of reflective stillness.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically from Kate's perspective, following a classic three-act build of setup, confrontation, and resolution.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

The answer rests on this: UnsettlingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a lingering sense of moral unease and the grim reality of the drug war, with its unsettling imagery staying with the viewer.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3% (this title)
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Crushed by fate: Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.

9% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeAn idealistic FBI agent is drawn into a covert operation whose true purpose — a personal vendetta masked as law enforcement — is gradually revealed, crushing her faith in justice.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% (this title) · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% (this title) · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 13% of filmsRevenge · 4% of filmsCorruption · 3% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film interrogates whether true justice is possible in a system that operates outside the law, juxtaposing Kate's faith in legal process against Alejandro's extralegal vengeance.
StanceThe film questions whether any form of justice is possible when the state itself operates with the ruthlessness of the cartels, offering no easy moral conclusion.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanWildernessDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicExperimentalForeground music · original score · Jóhann Jóhannsson
SettingArizona borderlands, El Paso, and Ciudad Juárez — the US-Mexico border in the drug-war zone.
MusicJóhannsson's score — a pulsing, low-register drone mixed with metallic percussion — creates an overwhelming sense of unease and dread.

Content guide

Is Sicario okay for kids?

R

Sicario is rated R: “Rated R for strong violence, grisly images, and language” (MPAA). As of August 19, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (91/100), sexual content at moderate (38/100), language at severe (81/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (61/100) and frightening material at severe (87/100). Overall it is heavier than 89% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 43 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada14A
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland15A
  • New ZealandR16
  • JapanR15+
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil16
  • AEPG-15
  • Argentina16
  • Austria16
  • Belgium18
  • CL18
  • CO15
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • Greece15
  • Hong KongIIB
  • Hungary16
  • ID18+
  • IndiaA
  • Israelהותר לבני 16 ומעלה
  • ItalyT
  • LTN-16
  • MexicoB-15
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • PhilippinesR-16
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/16
  • RO18
  • Russia16+
  • SingaporeNC16
  • South Africa16
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
  • TH15
  • Türkiye15+
  • UA16
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 93% of all filmsHeavier than 89% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 87%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 34%
Profanity
Severe
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 74%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 78%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 89%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: violence, frightening material, language, and drug and alcohol content. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Sicario have?

MovieCove's classifier found 6 depicted content warnings in Sicario: Gore or body horror (severe), Addiction or relapse (mild), plus 4 withheld here because they would spoil the plot. Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

SevereGore or body horror
MildAddiction or relapse

Cast and crew

Who is in Sicario?

Cast

3 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Emily Blunt
as Kate Macer
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Benicio Del Toro
as Alejandro
BAFTA nominee: BAFTA Award nomination — Best Supporting ActorTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Josh Brolin
as Matt Graver
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Victor Garber
as Dave Jennings
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Jon Bernthal
as Ted
Daniel Kaluuya
as Reggie Wayne
Jeffrey Donovan
as Steve Forsing
Raoul Max Trujillo
as Rafael
Julio Cesar Cedillo
as Fausto Alarcon
Hank Rogerson
as Phil Coopers
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Sicario?

Movies like Sicario include Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018), Prisoners (2013) and No Country for Old Men (2007). Of the 12 closest matches, most are neo-noirs, and most are films about law enforcement.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Sicario?

1.1K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: political thriller. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.