Big-screen thrillers centered on the war on drugs are nothing new. It stands to reason, considering how ripe with inherent drama and international stakes that world is even before any Hollywood screenwriter puts pen to paper (or hand to keyboard, as the case may be). Steven Soderbergh’s 2000 Oscar winner Traffic still stands as perhaps one of the best-known cinematic interpretations of that complex and multi-faceted struggle. Still, even in a subgenre that has been mined time and again, filmmaker Denis Villeneuve — and Traffic star Benicio del Toro — bring a fresh vision to roaring life with Sicario.

Emily Blunt — proving her believable action chops again following Looper and Edge of Tomorrow — stars as idealistic FBI agent Kate Macer, who is recruited for a new task force by government agent Matt Graver (Josh Brolin). However, when the mysterious Alejandro (Benicio del Toro) appears as part of the same team, the mission soon deviates from what Kate was expecting, making her question exactly what kind of situation she’s gotten herself into.

Initially, Sicario shares a lot of thematic ground with The Silence of the Lambs, but the beauty in Villeneuve’s film is how it expertly subverts expectations. The road may feel like one moviegoers have been down before, but just when one thinks the plot is heading down a familiar path, the script by actor Taylor Sheridan (Sons of Anarchy) takes a sharp left turn, placing audiences in the position of constantly reassessing their place amid the dilemmas being portrayed onscreen.

Villeneuve already established with Prisoners and Enemy — his last two critically lauded thrillers — that he has a fascination with moral ambiguity, and Sicario certainly builds off of this theme. The drug war is one with no simple solutions or clear answers, and the film appropriately navigates that terrain so that audiences will be torn between the different philosophies depicted in the film, particularly those embodied by Blunt’s and Brolin’s characters. Meanwhile, del Toro — as the film’s trailers suggest — stands in a category of his own.

All three actors deliver award-worthy performances, with del Toro the natural standout. However, this perhaps has more to do with the secrets surrounding his character’s true nature and motivations, which reportedly could get explored further in a potential Sicario sequel/spin-off. Thankfully, the film divulges just enough insight into its leads to tell its story without devolving into expositional madness.

In addition to its smart script and first-rate performances, Sicario‘s technical accomplishments are notably impressive. Roger Deakins (Skyfall, No Country for Old Men) proves why he is one of the most visionary cinematographers working today, creating a stark palette that fits the bleak subject matter. The film even features night-vision and POV sequences (another obvious connection to Jonathan Demmes’ The Silence of the Lambs). Moreover, composer Jóhann Jóhannsson’s mesmerizing score perfectly matches its visceral, edge-of-your-seat tone and intricate sound design.

At its most basic, Sicario is a riveting thriller in the vein of Training Day, but audiences looking for more depth and technical wow factor with their crime dramas will find tons of discussion points in the subtext of Villeneuve’s film. Ultimately, the film makes an affecting statement on the nature of violence and the startling repercussions of the action (or lack thereof) we take to take a stand against it, a timeless message in and of itself.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Follow Robert Yaniz Jr. on Twitter @CrookedTable!

Click here for more Crooked Table reviews!