Sicario: Day of the Soldado, the follow-up to 2015’s Sicario, the great collaboration between director Denis Villeneuve and writer Taylor Sheridan, didn’t understand why the first film functioned so well in the first place. Sicario was one of the best-received films of the 2010s, but its sequel made barely an impact just three years after the original film’s debut.

Released in 2018, the second Sicario film, subтιтled Day of the Soldado, received a lukewarm reception and mediocre financial returns. I was surprised by these results because the movie was coming off such a beloved original installment, but, in hindsight, I now understand why it underperformed. Several major contributing factors resulted in Sicario 2‘s underwhelming performance overall.

Day Of The Soldado Doesn’t Understand What Made Sicario So Good

The 2018 Sequel Lacks The Nuance That Made The Original So Compelling

Sicario burst onto the scene in late 2015, receiving positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. A decade later, the film is still well-regarded and has managed to carve out a place near the top of director Denis Villeneuve’s illustrious filmography despite stiff compeтιтion from the likes of Dune and Blade Runner 2049. Unfortunately, I don’t think Sicario: Day of the Soldado was able to capture the same magic that made the original film so successful.

Yellowstone mastermind Taylor Sheridan, who penned the script for the first Sicario, returned to write the sequel. However, director Denis Villeneuve wasn’t behind the camera this time, and the film lost sight of the original’s modus operandi. Day of the Soldado plays more like an action thriller, which isn’t an inherently negative approach, but when compared to the more nuanced and dramatic take on the subject matter in the first Sicario, it comes across as a more generic story.

Without Emily Blunt’s Kate, Sicario 2 Became Just Another Action Movie

Without Agent Kate Anchoring The Narrative, Day Of The Soldado Lost Focus

Beyond that, Emily Blunt didn’t return for Sicario 2 to reprise her role as FBI Agent Kate Macer, a detrimental development to the film’s narrative. Not only was Kate the main protagonist of the first film, but the film was also structured around her point of view. Losing the lead performer of a franchise could be a mᴀssive blow for any sequel, and I don’t think Sicario: Day of the Soldado was able to recover from what it lost of Blunt’s performance and Kate’s unique perspective.

Despite her Sicario character being one of Emily Blunt’s favorite career roles, with Agent Macer being out of the picture in Sicario 2, Benicio Del Toro’s character, Alejandro Gillick, a former prosecutor turned ᴀssᴀssin, stepped in as the lead. While Del Toro was more than capable of anchoring the film with his acting, the decision to focus on Gillick yielded a product that failed to stand out from any other action movie. Between Emily Blunt and Denis Villeneuve’s respective departures, Sicario: Day of Soldado could not reignite the flame that made the original a modern classic.