In a year when Jedis, raptor trainers, and Avengers made the most noise, a gritty thriller like Sicario had to be near-perfect to stand out. The Emily Blunt and Benecio Del Toro-fronted crime drama drew critical appreciation, being the kind of well-crafted, well-acted standalone action film that’s become a Hollywood rarity. Sicario brought in a respectable $46 million take at the box office; but reviews and end-of-year best-of lists is where it really shined. Rotten Tomatoes shows a 93% positive rating for the film, which explores the violent chaos that’s a byproduct of the overly simplified “war on drugs.” The A.V. Club, Entertainment Weekly, and Total Film are among the publications that ranked Sicario in the Top 10 of 2015 releases. According to those reviewers, it’s a film that needs to be seen, but theaters showing it are limited. So when will Sicario be on Netflix and other streaming sites?
Sicario is currently available to rent or purchase on Amazon, iTunes, and RedBox. No Netflix release date has been announced yet for either DVD service or streaming, though. Sicario won’t be an option for Netflix subscribers until at least one month after the DVD release date of Jan 5, but even a February drop is unlikely. My best guess? Sometime this summer, perhaps in June. So while you wait for Emily Blunt’s commanding FBI agent to eventually appear on Netflix, check out these movies that also feature awesome women in law enforcement and are currently available to stream.
1. S.W.A.T.
This fairly generic 2003 adaptation of a '70s TV series isn't going to be taught in film history classes or anything. But Michelle Rodriguez brings her signature toughness to Officer Christina Sánchez, who has to fight stereotypes and institutional misogyny as often as she has to fight bad guys.
2. Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
The sequel to the surprise hit original Charlie's Angels (another classic TV adaptation — those were trending in the '00s) went even further in pursuit of silly, escapist fun than the first. There isn't a ridiculous undercover costume that doesn't look good on Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore or Lucy Liu's crime-fighting Angels, and cameos from Carrie Fisher, Pink, and the Pussycat Dolls just add to the self-referential fun.
3. Along Came A Spider
I'm used to thinking of Monica Potter as Parenthood super-mom Kristina Braverman, not as a beleaguered special agent blamed for the kidnapping of a politician's daughter. The sequel to Kiss The Girls partners Detective Alex Cross (Morgan Freeman) with Potter's Secret Service Agent Jezzie Flannigan who may know more about the child's disappearance than she's letting on.
4. The Guest
Anna Peterson (Maika Monroe) is a teenager, not a cop. But if her actions in the darkly comic thriller The Guest are an indication of her career path, she'll be cuffing perps one day. While so many horror flicks dumb down their protagonists to make their plots work, Anna is a smart cookie who doesn't give away her trust easily.
These women do not mess around. With any luck, Blunt's Sicario character will be joining them on Netflix streaming soon.
Image: Lionsgate
