Sicario: Day of the Soldado arrives as a sequel to 2015’s Sicario, and it wants to be bigger, louder, and more brutal. It mostly succeeds at being bigger and louder, but the brutality often feels hollow. This is a movie about Mexican drug cartels and American border politics, and it leans into the grimness of its predecessor while losing some of its sharpness.
The film picks up years after the events of Sicario. Agent Jack Taylor (Benicio Del Toro) is now a fugitive, wanted by the CIA for his actions in the first movie. He teams up with Army Ranger Manny Rodriguez (Diego Luna) to hunt down a young cartel leader named CJ Montana (Jessica Sula). The mission is simple: capture CJ alive, bring him across the border, and hand him over to the U.S. government. What follows is a relentless, action-packed journey through the desert, the mountains, and the streets of Mexico.
Trailer, via Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Benicio Del Toro Carries the Weight
Del Toro is the engine of this film. His performance as Jack Taylor is a masterclass in controlled menace. Taylor is a man who has made himself a target, and he moves through the world with a quiet, simmering anger. Del Toro plays the character with a physicality that few actors can match. His presence is enough to hold scenes together even when the script falters.
Diego Luna is equally committed as Manny Rodriguez, the soldier who serves as Taylor’s partner in arms. Their partnership is the heart of the film, and their scenes together crackle with tension and mutual respect. Rodriguez is the straight man to Taylor’s wild card, and Luna sells that balance with a steady, grounded energy.
Jessica Sula plays CJ Montana as a dangerous, calculating force. She brings a cold precision to the role, but the character is underwritten. Montana is a villain, but she never quite becomes a fully realized threat. The film tries to make her a symbol of the cartel’s corruption, but the symbol stays flat.
The Violence Is Constant
Sicario: Day of the Soldado is not subtle about its violence. There are gunfights, car chases, explosions, and a lot of blood. The action sequences are well-choreographed, and the cinematography captures the dusty, sun-baked landscapes of Mexico with a grim beauty. But the violence loses its impact because the film leans on it so heavily.
There is a scene where a group of cartel soldiers are mowed down in a field. The carnage is graphic, but it feels like set dressing rather than storytelling. The film is trying to say something about the horror of the drug trade, but the message gets lost in the noise.
The Political Message Is Muddled
The film attempts to address the broader issue of the war on drugs and the U.S.’s involvement in Mexico. It touches on the idea that the cartels are a symptom of deeper problems, but it never fully commits to that argument. Instead, it settles for a Manichean worldview where the good guys are Americans and the bad guys are Mexicans.
This is a problem. The original Sicario had a moral ambiguity that made its critique of American foreign policy feel sharp. This sequel lacks that complexity. The film is less interested in why the cartels exist than in how to stop them, and that shift changes the tone.
The Score Holds It Together
The music, composed by Howard Blake, deserves credit. It is tense, atmospheric, and effective at building dread. The score knows when to pull back and when to swell, and it carries the emotional weight that the dialogue sometimes fails to deliver. It is one of the few elements of the film that consistently works.
Comparing the Two Films
| Aspect | Sicario (2015) | Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018) |
|---|---|---|
| Tone | Grim, ambiguous | Grim, unambiguous |
| Lead actor | Emily Blunt | Benicio Del Toro |
| Central conflict | CIA vs. cartels | U.S. vs. cartels |
| Moral complexity | High | Lower |
| Action focus | Moderate | Heavy |
The table makes the comparison clear. The first Sicario was a tighter, more focused film. This sequel expands the scope but dilutes the intensity. It is a bigger movie in every sense, but not necessarily a better one.
Where It Falls Short
Sicario: Day of the Soldado is not a failure, but it is a disappointment. It is a well-made, competently directed action thriller that never reaches the heights of its predecessor. The pacing drags in the middle, and the final act rushes to a conclusion that feels rushed.
The film also suffers from a lack of originality. It repeats ideas and beats that were fresher in the first movie. The cartel raids, the chase sequences, and the confrontations all feel familiar, and the film never finds a way to make them feel new.
The Bottom Line
Sicario: Day of the Soldado is a solid, if flawed, entry in the genre. It is best enjoyed as a guilty pleasure rather than a serious work of cinema. The performances are strong, the visuals are striking, and the score is excellent. But the plot is thin, the villains are shallow, and the message is muddled.
If you liked the first Sicario, you will find parts of this film worth watching. If you are looking for a deep, thoughtful exploration of the drug trade, you will be disappointed. This is a film that understands the mechanics of a thriller but struggles with the meaning behind it.
The score for Sicario: Day of the Soldado is 6.1 out of 10.
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