Blu-ray Movie Reviews

When a government strike against the Mexican drug cartel on American soil proves fruitful but costly, a dedicated FBI field agent (Emily Blunt) joins an interagency task force to help bring the men responsible to justice. She quickly learns, however, that her new colleagues have a disturbing tendency to bend or break the rules, or even write their own. They’re an effective bunch, albeit mysteriously motivated. The dangerous transport of a high-value prisoner to the U.S. yields valuable information, including the whereabouts of a crucial cartel tunnel under the border. But is the team really trying to stop the flow of contraband, or is the objective something quite different? And why do they really want her in their elite group? Sicario (which translates to “hit man”) is a gritty, violent, eye-opening look at how the war on drugs is being fought.

Roger Deakins’ digital cinematography is breathtaking. The level of precise detail within the 2.4:1 frame is almost overwhelming: long shots and close-ups and tiny text, minuscule particles of floating dust, and remarkable stability even within a heavily smoke-filled scene. The Southwestern palette is warm and mellow, in contrast to the colorful graffiti and trappings seen on our journey to Juarez. Shadows are deep and articulated, and the subtly employed CGI effects are masterfully incorporated. Just before the 34-minute mark, an overhead shot of cars stopped in the queue for the U.S. border could look juddery, depending upon how your TV is set to handle it, and soon after that, some chain-link fences might show some video noise, but there’s not much else to complain about on this reference-quality Blu-ray.

The audio is likewise showoff-worthy, a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 tour de force with Dolby Atmos for good measure. Powerful bass conveys the weight of the drama, bursting from the subwoofer with the requisite shock and impact when necessary. Firefights are bold and razor-sharp as shots ring out, while the discrete surrounds can be quite complex, yet panning from speaker to speaker is smooth and convincing.

The bonus features comprise four featurettes covering the visual design, the stars and their characters, the musical score by Jóhann Jóhannsson, and this fictional tale’s roots in brutal fact. These total about 51 minutes, in HD. A DVD and a code for an UltraViolet Digital Copy round out this bundle. Sicario is a harsh yet fascinating film, all the more affecting on this outstanding disc.

Blu-Ray
Studio: Lionsgate, 2015
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Audio Format: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 with Atmos
Length: 121 mins.
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin