Sicario

Rated 4.0

Kate Macer (Emily Blunt), an FBI Agent who deals with kidnappings, inadvertently finds herself in the middle of a Mexican drug cartel war after being enlisted by a shifty government type (Josh Brolin). After finding a houseful of dead bodies, Brolin's character shows up, has a little meeting, recruits Kate, and puts her on a private jet with Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro), a mysterious sort who seems to be along for the ride in some type of consultant role. After being told she is going to Texas, she winds up in Juarez, Mexico, and eventually fighting for her life in a border gun battle. Director Denis Villeneuve (Enemy, Prisoners) keeps things intense, especially when Del Toro is on the screen. The real reason for his character's presence, revealed late in the film, is a real kicker. Brolin is great as the crusty agent who wears sandals to meetings and sleeps on planes. However, in the end, this is Blunt's movie, who is dynamite as Kate. It's another action-intensive role for the versatile actress—she was great in Edge of Tomorrow—and she's a contender for a Best Actress Oscar.