I left this screening in a white heat of rage against ALL Americans whose insatiable appetite for drugs funds this horrific blood bath! How can we not see that the problem is NOT the cartels, it's the buyers who FUND the cartels! If there is no market, there is no production. To me it looks like a simple case of cause and effect.

Director Denis Villeneuve ("Prisoners"), working with a screenplay by actor Taylor Sheridan ("Sons of Anarchy") ramps up the horror of what an idealistic FBI agent encounters when she volunteers to work with a CIA team along the Mexican border. The charnel house they discover in the early part of the film sets the tone, while the unsettling soundtrack underscores an overwhelming sense of misery and doom.

Here we have:

• * Emily Blunt ("Edge of Tomorrow") Kate is determined to make her mark in the FBI. When she sees this chance to make a difference against the drug cartels, she volunteers.
• * Daniel Kaluuya ("Babylon") is her FBI sidekick Reggie. He is not quite so idealistic but he still "mothers" Kate.
• * Victor Garber (Lots of TV) FBI chief Jennings asks Kate if she can see any changes in her world after their latest successful foray.
• * Josh Brolin ("Labor Day") CIA agent Matt is always upbeat, smiling and focused. He has a realistic view of his mission and knows exactly why Kate has been added to his team.
• * Benicio Del Toro ("Inherent Vice") Alejandro will stop at nothing to achieve his goal. He has a spooky way of appearing and disappearing with unsettling regularity. His sicario makes a formidable enemy!

This R-rated crime drama has more grisly scenes than you may expect. It's one thing to READ about decapitations, torture, and betrayals, but it is another thing entirely to see them in living color! This film will stay with you for a long time. If you are anything like me, you will cry "Shame!" at any part of the drug trade, no matter how inconsequential it may appear. 

BTW, in Mexico "Sicario" means "Hitman."