In 2015, Denis Villeneuve's Sicario took the moviegoing populace by storm with its intensity and sheer brutality. Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin became quick fan-favorites for their ice-cold demeanors, and they will soon return to their respective roles as Alejandro Gillick and Matt Graver for Stefano Sollima's Sicario: Day of the Soldado. All eyes are on the sequel to match the intensity of the original, and the latest trailer seems to suggest that the film will do just that by actually pitting Alejandro and Matt against one another. Check out the preview, below.
Right out of the gates it's clear that Sicario: Day of the Soldado approaches its story from a different perspective than the original. The first film played out from the perspective of Emily Blunt's Kate Macer; with her now out of the picture, the sequel places the focus squarely on Matt and Alejandro as they bring the fight to the cartels south of the border. However, when a mission draws the eye of the Mexican government, and the American special forces find themselves with a young girl in custody, Alejandro seemingly defies orders to dispose of the witness and goes on the run with her. With a loose end that needs tying, the American government sends Matt after him to get the girl and take down his former ally.
That alone sets things apart from the premise that fans of the first film are already familiar with. In Sicario, Matt and Alejandro are framed as very close work colleagues, if not legitimately close friends. With the sequel now pitting them against each other, on a performance level, it seems to promise some big things from Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin -- both of whom are already poised for a big year with Avengers: Infinity War, as well as Brolin's role as Cable in Deadpool 2. Couple that with the fact that the sequel has also enlisted the chops of Catherine Keener and Matthew Modine (among several others), and it suggests a movie packed with acting talent.
Another thing worth mentioning is the fact that this Sicario sequel has made a notable change by swapping out original director Denis Villeneuve for Stefano Sollima. Day of the Soldado is one of the Italian filmmaker's first features in the Hollywood scene, so it will be interesting to see how he takes the Sicario formula and runs with it from his own distinct perspective.
Despite some of the changes made to this universe regarding plot and behind-the-camera talent, we should note that Sicario: Day of the Soldado seems to aim for a very similar tone and style as the first film. The late Jóhann Jóhannsson's theme music from the first film accompanies the run of this preview, and that ominous music underscores the same brutality that fans of the original fell in love with when it first debuted. Now it looks like we can expect the same degree of unflinching violence and cartel cruelty, with an arguably even more significant emphasis on spectacle and gunfights thrown in for good measure.
With Sicario: Day of the Soldado heading for its June 29, 2018 release, CinemaBlend will bring you more information related to the film as it becomes available to us. Until then, check out our 2018 movie premiere guide or let us know what you're most excited to see in this sequel.
