Movies like Sicario offer explosive action, thought-provoking political intrigue, and awards-pedigree acting talent. Released in 2015, Sicario is a slow-burning thriller about the nuances of drug cartel operations and the border between the U.S. and Mexico. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, the movie focuses on three perspectives: an FBI agent, played by Emily Blunt; a secretive government agent, played by Josh Brolin; and an even shadowier assassin, played by Benicio del Toro. The film was a critical and commercial success, and it got a sequel three years later, Sicario: Day of the Soldado.

Only the best action-thriller movies remain comparable to Sicario, with its stunning cinematography and deeply ugly subject matter. However, many fan-favorite films by director Denis Villeneuve and other acclaimed filmmakers hit the same spots. Several are also available for subscribers on major streaming platforms or even for free, making it easy to find movies like Sicario for fans who love Villeneuve's action thriller.

20 Ronin (1998)

Robert De Niro Leads A Shadowy Mission

Sicario is a movie about people who move in the shadows, and one of the best action thrillers to do this similar thing is Ronin. The underrated '90s movie stars Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Sean Bean, and Stellan Skarsgård as rogue operatives who are all brought together for a mysterious mission. However, they soon find that they have been dragged into some larger conspiracy where they are the pawns.

Ronin is a thrill ride with some of the best car chases in movie history. Like Sicario, it deals with characters who are operating in the dark, not really sure what they are involved in, and being used by those who are calling the shots. It is also an action thriller with a somewhat melancholic tone that is perfect for audiences who enjoyed the darkness of Sicario.

19 Clear And Present Danger (1994)

Jack Ryan Investigates The War On Drugs

Sicario sets up the heroic story of a fight against the dangerous and vicious drug cartels. However, the movie challenges the audience by questioning the tactics used in fighting such evil in the world. This is an idea that was explored earlier within the universe of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan. Clear and Present Danger is Harrison Ford's second film as Ryan, a CIA analyst who is drawn into an international conspiracy in which the government is mixed up in a drug war.

There are some great action set pieces in Clear and Present Danger, but it is also a political thriller that takes place in the highest stations of American politics. In these aspects, Ford's Ryan is very much like Sicario's Kate Mercer in that he is a heroic protagonist who becomes exposed to the realities of the war on drugs and the corrupt practices going on behind the scenes that have turned her into a pawn.

18 Training Day (2001)

Denzel Washington Plays A Brutal Cop Training A Young Rookie

There are few movies that can match the unrelenting tension that is experienced throughout Sicario, but Training Day is a crime thriller that matches it in that regard. Denzel Washington gives an Oscar-winning performance in Training Day as Detective Harris, an LAPD narcotics agent who is showing the ropes to a new rookie cop, Jake (Ethan Hawke). Throughout the grim and violent day, Jake is taken on a dark and surreal journey into the dangerous underbelly of the city, constantly questioning what Harris is truly up to.

Jake is very much a similar character to Kate in Sicario. They are both idealistic law enforcement officers who want to make a real difference but wind up involved with supposed allies who they gradually realize cannot be trusted. Both movies excel at leaving the audience with a sense of complete unease, feeling that something terrible can happen at any moment.

17 Miami Vice (2006)

Colin Farrell And Jamie Foxx Go Undercover With The Cartel

Being based on the quintessential '80s series of the same name, many people dismissed Miami Vice as a cheesy cop show remake, but that was far from the truth. Director Michael Mann brings his signature style to this intense and thrilling ride that stars Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx as two Miami detectives who are recruited by the FBI in order to go undercover in a drug lord's business to bring the entire operation down.

The set-up of different law enforcement agencies working together to take on a drug cartel is very similar to Sicario. However, instead of the shady truth hiding in the dark of these cooperations, Miami Vice is more about the intense undercover operation at hand, with Farrell's detective finding himself treading into dangerous territory. It makes for a vivid and exciting crime saga like only Mann can deliver.

16 Munich (2005)

Mossad Agents Seek Revenge For An Attack

While Sicario is an action thriller, it uses violence in a hard-hitting way, making it visceral and impactful. This is also the same in Steven Spielberg’s Munich. The movie is based on real events that took place in the aftermath of the 1972 Olympic Summer Games in Munich, , in which Palestinian terrorists captured and killed a group of Israeli athletes. Eric Bana and Daniel Craig star in the movie as Mossad agents who are assigned to the mission of tracking down and killing anyone involved in the attack.

Just like Villeneuve does with Sicario, Spielberg is able to create moments of incredible tension and suspense while also staging action set pieces that are grounded and brutal. It is also another action movie with a message about the escalation of conflicts. It is a grim and harrowing experience that highlights how violence only begets more violence.

15 Wind River (2017)

A Neo-Western Crime Film In The Modern American West

Taylor Sheridan wrote the screenplay for Sicario, and since the movie's release, he has quickly transitioned into a premier thriller director and television showrunner. Most fans today know him from his TV shows, like Yellowstone and Mayor of Kingstown. Sheridan first worked with Mayor of Kingstown star Jeremy Renner in Wind River. The story follows a murder investigation on the Wind River reservation led by an out-of-her-element FBI agent, played by Elizabeth Olsen, and a local tracker, played by Jeremy Renner.

Wind River may swap the sand for snow, but the movie's Wyoming backdrop is just as unforgiving as the scenery of Sicario. Thanks to screenwriter Sheridan, the film remains similar, but this movie has more of the writer's fingerprints since he also served as the director. While Sicario showed the story of the U.S. government's seedier side, this movie also shows dangerous politics, as missing person statistics are kept for every demographic group except Native American women.

14 Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

The Story Of The Hunt For Osama Bin Laden

Zero Dark Thirty is a dramatization of the hunt for terrorist Osama bin Laden. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, the movie stars Jessica Chastain as a fictional CIA intelligence analyst sent to the Middle East to work on finding bin Laden and ordering the attack against the terrorist. The story plays out very similar to Sicario, with the American military setting out for a planned assassination of an enemy. It was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actress, but only won for its sound editing.

As Sicario explores the war on drugs, Zero Dark Thirty delves into some of the darkest facets of the war on terror.

The film is an excellent choice for fans of Sicario who want more of the movie's realistic elements. As Sicario explores the war on drugs, Zero Dark Thirty delves into some of the darkest facets of the war on terror. It keeps the tension high throughout, building to the blistering final set piece as the story comes to a head by re-enacting the raid on bin Laden's compound.

13 Syriana (2005)

George Clooney Stars In A War On Terror Movie

Another film that examines the global war on terror, Syriana, takes a non-linear approach and follows several main characters in a variety of situations across the world. The primary motivation, or drug, driving the plot forward is oil, with nothing, including assassination, being off the table in the game of conflicting interests. The film then shows how the United States will do anything, no matter how morally corrupt, to get its way and come out on top.

Fans of Sicario's stellar cast will be equally impressed by Syriana's ensemble, which features George Clooney in Oscar-winning form alongside fellow Oscar winners Chris Cooper, Matt Damon, and Christopher Plummer, among many others. The two movies are also very similar in how they show that the American government will cross any line, including assassinating its citizens, to ensure the wealth remains where it wants it to be.

12 Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

The Long-Awaited Sequel To The Sci-Fi Classic

Denis Villeneuve pulled off an impressive feat by impressing discerning sci-fi fans with a belated sequel to the beloved cult movie Blade Runner. The Oscar-winning effects and cinematography made it an experience in itself, however. Ryan Gosling is a Replicant working for the Blade Runner squad, hunting down renegade Replicants and deactivating them. However, when he finds Rick Deckard (the returning Harrison Ford), he realizes the true nature behind these beings, and it questions everything from the first movie.

Villeneuve's frequent collaborator Roger Deakins shot this movie, and he also worked as the cinematographer on Sicario. He creatively frames the outlandish action of the futuristic mystery in a way that almost makes its sprawling dystopian version of Los Angeles seem as real as Sicario's contemporary world. While this is more of a futuristic sci-fi film, the plot remains similar, as it shows the government trying to shut down people who disagree with their decisions in any way necessary.

11 Man On Fire (2004)

A Bodyguard Seeks To Save His Charge By Any Means Necessary

Though not a critically praised release like Sicario, Tony Scott's revenge thriller Man on Fire has developed a massive fan base since its release. Set in Mexico, the movie sees Denzel Washington play a stoic bodyguard out for blood when his ward (Dakota Fanning) ends up taken in an ambush. Like Sicario, this follows a trained military assassin heading out to achieve his goals at all costs, and his path ends up littered with dead bodies along the way.

Fans of Sicario's most cold-blooded moments are all but guaranteed to have a blast with Man on Fire, with Washington delivering a commanding lead performance. Whatever the movie lacks in subtlety is more than made up for by the pulse-pounding entertainment factor. The big difference is that Man on Fire is a little more playful with the action and kills, while Sicario's story is dark and deadly throughout.