Hollywood writers don’t often get the praise they deserve, let alone a spot in the limelight, but if there’s one newcomer who’s made a name for themselves in a short amount of time, that title would have to go to Taylor Sheridan. While he’s certainly been in the business for some time (you might remember him as Deputy Chief David Hale in the first two seasons of Sons of Anarchy), his writing career has grown into something very impressive, to say the least. In the past eight years, he’s penned several acclaimed films (Wind River, Hell or High Water, to name a couple). He also co-created the Paramount megahit Yellowstone and its prequels, 1883 and 1923.
What propelled Sheridan to new heights was not any of the aforementioned franchises but rather his first film screenplay, Sicario. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, this action-thriller came out of nowhere and took the world by storm, giving birth to a new series of films. If you’ve been thinking of checking out these movies, here’s a quick rundown of the best way to tackle them.
The original Sicario
This should come as no surprise, but if you’re going to start somewhere, it should be the first Sicario. Starring Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, and Josh Brolin, the film follows FBI Special Agent Kate Macer (Blunt), who is enlisted to help bring down a dangerous Mexican drug cartel. It’s a fantastic film in its own right, and thankfully, there are a few different ways to watch it.
At the time of writing, Sicario is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, The Roku Channel, and a few other lesser-known services. For those who would rather rent or buy it, you can find it on almost any service you can think of.
Sicario: Day of the Soldado
Seeing as the first Sicario was both a critical and financial success, it was quickly followed up by Sicario: Day of the Soldado. While this sequel didn’t hit the same highs as its predecessor (which might have something to do with Denis Villeneuve not returning to the director’s chair), it still received generally positive reviews from fans and critics alike.
If you’d like to check this one out for yourself, it’s currently streaming for free on Hulu, FXNow, Fubo, and DirectTV, though that’s subject to change since movies are added to and pulled from streaming services all the time. Like the original Sicario, Day of the Soldado is also available for purchase or rent on all the popular movie platforms.
The third Sicario
At the time of writing, Sicario: Capos is still in development; we’ll have to wait until it hits theaters to see how this third entry pans out. Seeing as how there’s not a ton of information available on this one, it’s likely that it won’t be released until 2024, if not later.
While you’re waiting, if you enjoyed either of the first two films, be sure to check out our picks for the 10 best movies that are similar to Sicario.
