If you’re a fan of the gritty, intense crime thriller Sicario, then you know how addictive that adrenaline rush of suspense can be. Starring Emily Blunt as an idealistic FBI agent who gets in over her head with a covert government task force, Sicario is a masterclass in ratcheting up tension and painting morally ambiguous characters.
Directed by Denis Villeneuve with jaw-dropping cinematography by Roger Deakins, it’s no wonder this film left you wanting more. Well, fear not – I’ve compiled a list of the top 20 movies like Sicario that deliver similar doses of pulse-pounding action, dark themes, and flawed protagonists. Get ready for an intense ride.
1. Hell or High Water (2016)
Nominated for four Oscars, this modern Western thriller follows two brothers (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) who go on a bank-robbing spree to save their family ranch, with a soon-to-retire Texas Ranger (Jeff Bridges) hot on their trail. With a sharp script by Taylor Sheridan (who also wrote Sicario), Hell or High Water is a taut, character-driven crime drama with a strong sense of place.
2. Wind River (2017)
Another gem scripted by Taylor Sheridan, Wind River stars Jeremy Renner as a wildlife officer who teams up with an FBI agent (Elizabeth Olsen) to investigate a murder on a Native American reservation in Wyoming. Bleak and atmospheric, this slow-burn mystery delivers shocks and poignant character moments in equal measure.
3. No Country for Old Men (2007)
The Coen Brothers’ neo-Western masterpiece swept the Oscars for good reason. When a hunter (Josh Brolin) stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong and takes a case of money, he’s pursued by a ruthless hitman (Javier Bardem in his chilling, Oscar-winning role) and a world-weary sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones). Minimalist, darkly funny, and unbearably tense, No Country is a modern classic.
4. Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Also directed by Kathryn Bigelow, this gripping docudrama chronicles the decade-long hunt for Osama bin Laden following the 9/11 attacks. Jessica Chastain stars as a determined CIA analyst navigating the murky world of intelligence and the War on Terror. While more understated than Sicario, Zero Dark Thirty still offers a grim, unflinching look at the cost of obsession.
5. Traffic (2000)
Before Sicario, director Steven Soderbergh explored the complexities of the War on Drugs in this sprawling, Oscar-winning drama. An ensemble cast including Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, and Catherine Zeta-Jones brings to life interconnected stories of Mexican cartels, DEA agents, politicians, and addicts. Traffic‘s non-linear structure and saturated color palette make for a unique, thought-provoking experience.
6. The Departed (2006)
Martin Scorsese’s twisty Boston crime saga swept the Oscars, and for good reason. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as an undercover cop infiltrating the Irish mob, while Matt Damon plays a mole working for the gangsters within the police force. Boasting an all-star cast including Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, and Vera Farmiga, The Departed is a tense, profane thriller with style to spare.
7. A Most Violent Year (2014)
While more of a slow-burn drama than an action thriller, A Most Violent Year shares Sicario‘s sense of creeping dread and moral decay. Oscar Isaac stars as an immigrant businessman trying to stay legit in the cutthroat world of 1980s New York City, while Jessica Chastain (who also co-starred in Zero Dark Thirty) plays his ruthless wife. With a measured pace and simmering tension, this is a crime movie for grown-ups.
8. The Town (2010)
Directed by and starring Ben Affleck, The Town follows a crew of Boston bank robbers whose personal lives become dangerously entangled with their criminal enterprise. Affleck plays the leader who falls for a bank manager (Rebecca Hall) taken hostage in their last job, while Jeremy Renner delivers an Oscar-nominated performance as his volatile partner. Tense, character-driven, and packed with authentic Boston flavor, The Town is a gripping heist thriller.
9. Prisoners (2013)
Another collaboration between Sicario director Denis Villeneuve and cinematographer Roger Deakins, Prisoners is a harrowing child abduction thriller that pushes its characters to the breaking point. Hugh Jackman stars as a father who takes matters into his own hands when his daughter and her friend go missing, while Jake Gyllenhaal plays the detective on the case. Dark, disturbing, and masterfully crafted, Prisoners is not an easy watch, but an unforgettable one.
10. Nightcrawler (2014)
Jake Gyllenhaal gives a career-best performance in this twisted neo-noir thriller about an ambitious sociopath who enters the cutthroat world of freelance crime journalism in LA. With its neon-soaked cinematography and biting satire of media sensationalism, Nightcrawler is like a 21st century Taxi Driver, and Gyllenhaal’s Lou Bloom is a protagonist you won’t soon forget, even if you want to.
11. A History of Violence (2005)
David Cronenberg’s gripping crime drama stars Viggo Mortensen as a mild-mannered diner owner whose skillful handling of a robbery attempt raises questions about his past. As his family is threatened by menacing figures from his former life, Mortensen’s character must grapple with the consequences of violence and the duality of man. A History of Violence is a taut, thought-provoking thriller that lingers long after the credits roll.
12. Green Room (2015)
Punk rockers vs. neo-Nazis…what could go wrong? Green Room pits a young band against a gang of white supremacists led by a chilling Patrick Stewart, in a bloody, claustrophobic siege thriller that never lets up. With taut direction by Jeremy Saulnier and committed performances from Anton Yelchin and Imogen Poots, Green Room is a brutal, uncompromising ride that will leave you breathless.
13. Blue Ruin (2013)
Another lean, mean thriller from Jeremy Saulnier, Blue Ruin follows a beach bum who takes bloody revenge on the man who murdered his parents, only to find himself in way over his head. With a breakout performance by Macon Blair and a darkly comic sensibility, Blue Ruin is a tense, emotionally charged take on the revenge thriller that never goes quite where you expect.
14. Bone Tomahawk (2015)
This genre-bending Western/horror hybrid stars Kurt Russell as a grizzled sheriff leading a posse to rescue townsfolk from a tribe of cannibalistic cave-dwellers. With a stellar cast including Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, and Richard Jenkins, Bone Tomahawk is a slow-burn oater that builds to a shockingly violent climax. Not for the faint of heart, but a must-see for fans of unconventional Westerns.
15. Hell or High Water (2016)
Another neo-Western crime thriller written by Sicario scribe Taylor Sheridan, Hell or High Water stars Chris Pine and Ben Foster as bank-robbing brothers pursued by a grizzled Texas Ranger (Jeff Bridges). With its rich sense of place, sharp dialogue, and elegiac tone, Hell or High Water is a poignant, character-driven drama that just happens to have some thrilling heist scenes.
16. The Rover (2014)
Set in a bleak, post-apocalyptic Australian Outback, The Rover stars Guy Pearce as a hardened loner who pursues the gang that stole his car, with the help of a wounded simpleton (Robert Pattinson). Directed by David Michôd (Animal Kingdom), The Rover is a spare, brutal revenge thriller that’s light on plot but heavy on atmosphere and existential dread.
17. Good Time (2017)
This gritty, neon-soaked crime thriller stars Robert Pattinson as a small-time crook who embarks on a frantic odyssey through NYC to get his mentally handicapped brother (Benny Safdie) out of jail after a botched bank robbery. Directed by the Safdie Brothers with a throbbing electronic score by Oneohtrix Point Never, Good Time is a stylish, adrenaline-fueled ride with a breakout performance by Pattinson.
18. You Were Never Really Here (2017)
Joaquin Phoenix stars as a traumatized veteran who tracks down missing girls for a living, in this arty, ultraviolent thriller from director Lynne Ramsay. When a job spins out of control, Phoenix’s character finds himself in the crosshairs of a conspiracy, all while grappling with his own fractured psyche. You Were Never Really Here is a haunting, impressionistic character study with bursts of shocking brutality.
19. Dragged Across Concrete (2018)
This sprawling, novelistic crime drama from S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk) stars Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn as a pair of cops who turn to the criminal underworld after being suspended for excessive force. Clocking in at nearly three hours, Dragged Across Concrete is a slow-burn, morally ambiguous thriller with Zahler’s signature bursts of graphic violence and darkly comic dialogue.
20. Destroyer (2018)
Nicole Kidman undergoes a transformative deglamorization to play a hardened LAPD detective haunted by an undercover case from her past, in this sun-scorched neo-noir from director Karyn Kusama. Part character study and part revenge thriller, Destroyer follows Kidman’s Erin Bell as she settles old scores and grapples with her own demons. It’s a grim, uncompromising film anchored by Kidman’s ferocious performance.
So there you have it – 20 gritty, intense crime thrillers that are sure to get your pulse pounding if you loved Sicario. From neo-Westerns to revenge sagas to harrowing descents into the underworld, these films offer a wide range of dark delights for fans of morally ambiguous characters, shocking violence, and white-knuckle suspense.
Whether you’re in the mood for a taut, minimalist thriller like No Country for Old Men, a sprawling, multi-character drama like Traffic, or an arty, ultraviolent fever dream like You Were Never Really Here, there’s something on this list to keep you on the edge of your seat. Just don’t blame me if you have trouble sleeping afterwards!
