When a movie makes its way into Netflix’s Top 10 charts, it may not mean it’s the best, but it certainly shows how much people are talking about it. This time, it’s a divisive sequel to a classic that’s getting all the eyeballs — and it makes perfect sense why.
At the time of its release in 2018, Sicario: Day of the Soldado landed as a mixed bag.
Obviously, it’s hard to live up to Denis Villeneuve’s original Sicario, considering it’s a bona fide masterpiece from the visionary filmmaker. Seven years later, it’s time the sequel stepped out of the original’s shadow. And looking at the Netflix Top 10 charts at the moment, it just might be doing that.
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Sicario: Day of the Soldado Is Trending On Netflix
7 Years Later, Polarizing Sequel Finds New Life
According to streaming data from FlixPatrol, Sicario: Day of the Soldado has been steadily holding its place in the Netflix Top 10 charts. The action crime thriller landed on the streaming platform on April 1, and since then, it’s been making waves. It debuted at #3, held the #5 spot for two more days, and as of April 7, it’s still hanging on at #9. Other top titles right now include One of Them Days, The Life List, and Geostorm, which lead the charts.
Denis Villeneuve’s absence from the Sicario sequel obviously put pressure on the film and its makers, but perhaps it deserves a second look. Day of the Soldado surely doesn’t live up to its predecessor, but it might work for audiences if they view it as a self-contained story that simply borrows characters and actors from the original. Maybe this perspective is what helped it click with Netflix viewers and trend in the Top 10 charts globally.
Sicario: Day of the Soldado was directed by Gomorrah‘s Stefano Sollima and written by Taylor Sheridan. Sheridan also wrote the first Sicario before going on to build the Yellowstone franchise with TV shows like 1883, 1923, and Mayor of Kingstown. But without Villeneuve, Roger Deakins, or late composer Jóhann Jóhannsson (to whom the film is dedicated), the film’s tone shifted. In their place, Dariusz Wolski (The Martian) handled cinematography, while Hildur Guðnadóttir – who later won an Oscar for Joker – took over soundtrack duties.
What Is Sicario: Day of the Soldado About?
CIA Triggers Cartel War With Kidnapping
Day of the Soldado brings back key Sicario characters like CIA agent Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) and hitman Alejandro Gillick (Benicio del Toro), but this time, Emily Blunt’s character is out of the picture. The story picks up with a wild premise: what if the U.S. government used terrorism as a loophole to go after Mexican drug cartels? Screenwriter Taylor Sheridan commented on this narrative shift while the film was in development in 2017. Speaking to Collider, Sheridan said:
If Sicario is a film about the militarization of police and that blending over, this is removing the policing aspect from it.
Here’s how it works: the CIA can’t legally attack cartels unless there’s a terrorism link. So when suspected terrorists cross the U.S.-Mexico border, the agency jumps on the opportunity. Their plan is to stir up a war between rival cartels that were technically at peace by kidnapping the teenage daughter of a cartel boss and pretending to “rescue” her. Naturally, the plan falls apart fast.
The girl realizes what’s really going on, and the cartels soon catch on too. The mission immediately becomes less strategy and more survival. A lot of the tension comes from government officials calling the shots from behind screens — especially Catherine Keener’s character, who literally abandons soldiers mid-mission. Meanwhile, Alejandro ends up bonding with the kidnapped girl, since he lost his own daughter to cartel violence.
Sicario: Day of the Soldado’s Rotten Tomatoes Score & Critical Reception
Sicario: Day of the Soldado wasn’t exactly a critical darling when it first dropped. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a middling 62% critics’ score. It’s not exactly terrible, but definitely not on par with the original Sicario, which sits comfortably at 93%. Audiences weren’t all-in either, evident from the 66% Popcornmeter rating as well. The overall critics’ consensus from 286 reviews reads:
Though less subversive than its predecessor, Sicario: Day of the Soldado succeeds as a stylish, dynamic thriller — even if its amoral machismo makes for grim viewing.
Is Sicario 2 As Good As The First Movie?
This pretty much sums up why Sicario: Day of the Soldado split fans. The movie had strong acting (especially from Benicio del Toro) and some brutal action scenes that landed just as hard as the original. But without Denis Villeneuve directing or Emily Blunt’s character, something felt off.
Lionsgate tried turning the first film into a franchise, not directly continuing the storyline but almost like a character-shared anthology, which was a bold move. Still, the film feels like it fell victim to action-thriller clichés, and lost the 2015 classic’s haunting vibe. Regardless, Sicario: Day of the Soldado is definitely worth a watch on Netflix.