SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO (2018)

The drug war on the U.S.-Mexico border has escalated as the cartels have begun trafficking terrorists across the US border. To fight the war, federal agent Matt Graver re-teams with the mercurial Alejandro.

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Not as good as the first SICARIO but the slow, complex contemporary plot is dynamic and stylish. Emily Blunt’s absence leaves a huge gap but the young Isabela Moner, who plays the feisty Isabel Reyes, puts in a wonderful performance that retains the humanity at the core of the story while conveying the loss of innocence that must be the consequence for so many kids growing up within a world that is devoid of morality and where life seems to have so little value. There are some very confronting moments in the movie, particularly in those scenes where the violence is wrought with such chilling efficiency. The one serious flaw is the ending which seems such an anticlimax that is contrived to set up another sequel. Despite that, definitely worth a look and it will be interesting to see what the next episode beings.