The action crime thrillerSicario: Day of the Soldadohas experienced a revival as it has risen on the streaming charts. As a sequel to directorDenis Villeneuve’sSicario, this film shows Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) teaming up with assassin Alejandro Gillick (Benicio del Toro) to start a war between the cartels, who are suspected of smuggling suicide bombers into the United States.

Though2015’sSicariohas an incredible 92% rating from criticsonRotten Tomatoes, the sequel achieved far less favorable reviews upon release and didn’t make as much money at the box office. This difference in reception can be attributed to the change in director and cast between the two films.2018’sSicario: Day of the Soldadodoesn’t match the original in terms of quality with its story and cinematic direction, but it has still proven itself to be a worthwhile watch as a thrilling action movie.

Denis Villeneuve on the set of Arrival

Sicario: Day Of The Soldado Missed Denis Villeneuve As Its Director

Sicario: Day Of The Soldado Lacked One Of Modern Cinema’s Best Directors

Though the sequel hadYellowstoneco-creator Taylor Sheridan return to write the script,Sicario: Day of the Soldadolacked the leadership of Denis Villeneuve, causing it to fall short of the original.Sicariois distinctive due to Villeneuve’s vast, meticulous style of filmmaking. Since the release ofthefilm, Villeneuve has proven himself to be one of the best directors working today, especially in sci-fi, with movies likeBlade Runner 2049,Dune, andDune: Part Two.

Taylor Sheridan’s $76M Action Sequel Climbing Streaming Charts After Oscar-Nominated Original’s Global Netflix Success

Taylor Sheridan’s $76 million grossing action sequel has climbed streaming charts following its critically acclaimed predecessor’s Netflix success.

Based on his filmography after directingSicario, Villeneuve made it clear that the franchise wouldn’t be the same without him sitting in the director’s chair, lending his particular cinematic talents and vision to the production.Sicario 2director Stefano Sollimadoes a great job presenting a tense, heart-pounding sequel with his award-winning skills as a filmmaker. Nevertheless,Sollima’sSicariomovie doesn’t reach quite the same heights as Villeneuve’s.

Alejandro with a gun in the desert in Sicario: Day of the Soldado

Sicario: Day Of The Soldado Couldn’t Replace Emily Blunt’s Kate Macer

Sicario’s Sequel Lacked The Heart Of The Original

Another crucial aspect ofSicariomissing from the sequel is the presence of actor Emily Blunt’s protagonist,Kate Macer.Sicario: Day of the Soldadofeatures the return of del Toro and Brolin, who both give terrific performances, just like in the original movie. However, their characters are more sadistic and unsympathetic than Blunt’s, making it difficult to root for either one of them. It was especially hard to see Gillick as a protagonist in the sequel after the murders he committed at theend ofSicario.

Just Weeks After Taylor Sheridan’s Crime Thriller With 92% On RT Found New Life On Netflix, The Sequel Is Now Available On The Same Streamer

Taylor Sheridan’s Sicario: Day of the Soldado is now available to stream on Netflix, less than a month after the original topped streaming charts.

Macer genuinely wanted to prevent all the death and chaos created by the drug cartels. Meanwhile, Graver wanted to control Mexico using corrupt, cold-hearted military tactics, and Gillick was driven mainly by his rage and desire for vengeance against the cartels. Though the latter has a somewhat redemptive storyline in the sequel as he tries to protect Isabel (Isabela Merced), he is still a jaded and morally gray character who isn’t as likable as Macer.

A shocked Kate Mercer looks at something from inside a car in Sicario

Day Of The Soldado’s Story Wasn’t As Thrilling, But It’s Still Worth Watching

Sicario: Day Of The Soldado Presents A Unique, Exciting Story

WhileSicario: Day of the Soldadojust isn’t as great a film as the original film,it is still a noteworthy title on its own and should be judged by its individual merits.With this secondSicariomovie, screenwriter Taylor Sheridan presented another tense, sprawling, and thought-provoking storythat expanded the world of the franchise and explored more of the war on drugs and the corruption on both sides of the conflict. And like the original film, the sequel has plenty of great drama through its characters, even without Macer.

Sicario: Day of the Soldadoalso manages to balance its steady suspense with exhilarating action scenes that go off like a bomb, with several surprising twists keeping its audience locked into the story.

Sicario Day of the Soldado Benecio del Toro

Specifically,Gillick forms an unexpected bond with Isabel after kidnapping her, driving him to protect her instead of following orders and killing her. This showcases great and unexpected development for his character after he lost his family and went on a ruthless rampage.Sicario: Day of the Soldadoalso manages to balance its steady suspense with exhilarating action scenes that go off like a bomb, with several surprising twists keeping its audience locked into the story.

10 Best Movies Like Sicario To Watch On Netflix

Denis Villeneuve’s action thriller Sicario is now streaming on Netflix, and the following movies are the perfect companions to the 2015 film.

Sicario: Day of the Soldadofell short of the original film, as the absence of Kate Macer left a noticeably large hole in the story. Likewise, director Stefano Sollima’s direction failed to rival Denis Villeneuve’s grand, inventive, and thorough style that made the original movie so beloved. Despite this, the sequel is another dark, thrilling, and action-packed story that has understandably won over audiences on streaming. The renewed interest in theSicariofranchise could even stoke the fires of hype leading up to the production of the third film,Sicario: Capos.

10-Best-Movies-Like-Sicario-To-Watch-On-Netflix

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