Rewatchables Reference

• Winner (unanimous): The 20-22 minute Juarez border crossing sequence – from driving into Juarez through the traffic shootout on the way back. Sean: 'One of the great movie scenes of this century.'
• CR's hottest take: this action set piece is as good as the bank robbery from Heat or the truck chase from 'The Dark Knight'.
• Other nominees: the opening scene (bodies in the wall, explosion), Matt Graver recruiting Kate, Kate and Bernthal at the bar/choking scene, the infrared tunnel attack, Alejandro's dinner scene execution ('keep eating'), and 'You are not a wolf, and this is the land of wolves now.'

• CR: 'Younger Bernthal' – Walking Dead-era Bernthal, pre-Yellowstone Sheridan where the scripts are tighter.
• Sean: 'Rooting for border crossing non-jurisdictional pirate soldier squads attempting to end narco terrorism with excessive force' – noting it doesn't feel like something he'd root for this year.
• CR: 'In 2015, I had the capacity to be scandalized by the behavior of shadowy elements of the United States government.'

• CR: The cinematographic arc – brilliant sunlight opening to unrelenting darkness through the tunnel, ending in gray. Also the character introductions (Kate in the truck, Matt directing, Alejandro standing behind the plane).
• Sean: Drug cartels running entire countries and subverting power structures – still obviously happening. Sheridan's finger on contemporary issues.
• Bill: The title 'Sicario' is a great title. Little character touches (Brolin's sandals, the crooked cop's morning coffee liquor, the wedding band detail). Bernthal's ability to play good guy and bad guy in the same movie.

• CR: Soldiers disappearing into the setting sun – not CGI, Deakins waited for the absolute last second of sunlight.
• CR: Kate walking across the rooftop to see the fireworks.

• No pop music in this movie. Johann Johannsson's evil 'Jaws'-like score functions as the needle drops.
• Villeneuve told Johannsson to make a score as scary as 'Jaws', 'and then it's just fucking awesome' (Bill).
• CR: 'You cannot imagine this movie without this score.'

• Bill: You need to understand the CIA/FBI mechanics to fully grasp the movie – not possible on first viewing. 'It's a multiple-watch movie before you really get it.'
• Sean: Kate's insistence on doing things 'the right way' even after the tunnel – 'I'm going to tell on you.'

• Bill: Emily Blunt's on-screen smoking. Tom Cruise 'Which End Do I Light' Award for terrible on-screen smoking.
• CR: The idea that '2015 Emily Blunt is supposed to be this ratty piece of shit that no one wants to date is pretty wild.'
• Sean: Juarez, portrayed as the scariest city on earth, has since fallen out of the top 15 most dangerous cities.
• Bill: 'Sicario' 2: Soldado – same screenwriter, different director. 'It's fine, it's a cable movie.'

• Sean: 'The success of Yellowstone is the biggest loss for movies of the last decade.' Sheridan went from potentially being William Goldman to being David E. Kelley.
• CR: The Juarez border crossing is as good of an action set piece as the Heat bank robbery or the Dark Knight truck chase.

• Josh Brolin initially turned it down after Everest, but Roger Deakins emailed him and changed his mind.
• For Blunt's role: considered Anne Hathaway (no), Amy Adams (no), Scarlett Johansson (too much leading-lady cred by 2015). Bill says a time-machined 2005 Kate Winslet would be perfect.
• Blunt benefited from 'Edge of Tomorrow' (2014) establishing her physicality and action credibility.

Very understated movie – 'pretty crazy mellow.' Bernthal's finger-in-ear scene in the car is the closest thing.

• Maximiliano Hernandez (Silvio, the Mexican cop). Also in the Marvel films as a Hydra agent.
• Craig notes that 99.9% of society could not name Victor Garber.

• Jeffrey Donovan (CR and Sean). 'I have gonorrhea and I'm like the world's greatest killer, and he's in three scenes.' When he turns the camera off before the waterboarding – 'the most chilling shit.'
• Jon Bernthal (Bill).

Bill jokes: set it in 'Philadelphia' instead of Juarez (teasing CR during 'CR Month').

• The thermal vision shots were filmed with a real FLIR SC8300 camera, not added in post. They only had it for one day.
• A props man heated the soles of his shoes to see footprints in the thermal shots.
• The word 'sicario' derives from the Latin 'sicarius,' meaning 'dagger man.'
• Emily Blunt got so sick from food poisoning in Mexico she required IV fluids between takes.
• Brolin forgot his lines during the post-tunnel scene explaining Alejandro – he froze for 2 seconds, but it worked perfectly in the final cut.
• Bernthal assured Blunt he was an experienced boxer and she could hit him at full strength during the fight scene, which she did.
• The Wild Pony Bar was filmed in Los Lunas, NM (425 miles from Tucson where it's supposed to be). It closed in 2015 after a fatal gang shooting.

• Emily Blunt: Probably A Quiet Place, not this (though this is a more interesting performance).
• Josh Brolin: The No Country run (2006-2008). Sean argues Infinity War/Thanos.
• Benicio del Toro: Traffic (won the Oscar, made more money).
• Daniel Kaluuya: 'Get Out'.
• Cartel movies: Scarface still edges 'Sicario' due to its 43-year tail.
• Tunnels: Great Escape, Shawshank, 'Fast Five', or 'Sicario'?

Scorsese.

• Kate trying to arrest Alejandro in the tunnel – 'the worst part of the movie' (Bill).
• Alejandro forcing Kate to sign the document at gunpoint – she could just tell them afterward that he coerced her.
• Ted's plan: how did he know Kate would go to the bar? How did he know about Reggie?
• How did Alejandro know it was dinner time at Fausto's house?
• Kate ordering '2 beers' without specifying a brand – Bill's pet peeve across all movies.
• The quality of play in the Mexican kids' soccer game at the end.

• Prestige TV would work – could evolve with current events, 'what Homeland should have been' (Bill).
• CR: Would watch an Alejandro prequel about his time as a Mexican prosecutor and Colombian cartel connections.
• Sean: Would watch the Jeffrey Donovan show – 'him just getting boners.'

CR goes with Zane Lowe: 'Zane talking to Ted before he goes into the bar.'

• Bill: Del Toro (person) or Deakins (cinematography).
• CR: Johann Johannsson for the score.

• Is this a better movie if Kate shoots Alejandro at the end? All three say no.
• Is it better if the last shot is Alejandro walking away and NOT the soccer game in Mexico?
• Did Kate ever date again? Did she move to a desk job?
• 'It's the land of wolves. Are you a wolf, CR?' CR: 'I don't think you can answer that about yourself. It's like giving yourself a nickname.'

• CR: The rubber band from the cartel bankroll – just leave it on tables and see if people notice.
• Bill: The fake cocaine bricks in the car when Alejandro kidnaps the cop.

'You will doubt everything we do, but in the end, you'll understand.'

• Bill: 'Fast Five' – 'the happier, entertaining version of 'Sicario'.'
• CR: 'Sicario' 2: Soldado, to keep the Graver/Alejandro train rolling.
• Sean: Abel Ferrara's 'King of New York' – 'another vicious movie about the way things are.'
• Craig: 'Happy Gilmore'.

• Taylor Sheridan. CR makes the case: 'It sends him on this incredible trajectory where he's arguably one of the most powerful people in entertainment right now.'
• Bill and Sean originally had Benicio del Toro but were convinced by the Sheridan argument. Sean's caveat: 'It's a waste of screenwriting talent' that Sheridan went to TV.

• Craig saw 'The Martian' opening weekend instead. Watched 'Sicario' on his laptop at age 19-20 and was underwhelmed – expected a bigger, faster action movie.
• Rewatched on a TV with speakers blasting, lights off: 'This is like the best movie ever made. It's so fucking good.'
• Perfect age to see this movie is NOT 19 – 'you can't grasp the subtext.'