The Top 10 Best Cartel Movies
5. Sicario
What happens when America gets “serious” in the War on Drugs? Well, then you would probably get Sicario. The film teams the CIA with the FBI as the two wage war at home and abroad against a Mexican drug cartel. Of course, they have a secret weapon when it comes to taking out the cartels in the form of a lawyer turned assassin Alejandro Gillick (Benicio del Toro) who has dark ties to the prey he hunts. Sicario is an enthralling thriller that was the first entry into writer Taylor Sheridan’s American Frontier Trilogy that shows just how incredibly brutal American retaliations can be. More importantly, del Toro proves himself to potentially be the biggest badass on this list of cartel movies. It’s just too bad that Sicario: Day of the Soldado couldn’t quite live up to its predecessor.
4. Traffic
Drug trafficking can affect all walks of life from the cartels to the dealers to the family of those suffering from addiction. Traffic is a film that sets out to show just how far the drug trade reaches. Over the course of the movie, a variety of tales end up crossing paths as the American government tries in vain to stop drugs from coming over the border. Some of the characters that find themselves involved in the stories include Mexican police officers, an American judge appointed to head the President’s Office of National Drug Control Policy, and even DEA agents trying to prosecute a cartel leader. The film paints a picture of how entrenched in everyday life the drug trade has become. Needless to say, Traffic shows just how futile the War on Drugs has managed to become.
3. Once Upon a Time in Mexico
Really the whole El Mariachi Trilogy could earn spots on this list, but for my money Once Upon a Time in Mexico is the best of the bunch when it comes to being a cartel movie. The film brings back Antonio Banderas as el Mariachi, the notorious guitar playing Mexican vigilante. This time around he finds himself working alongside the American government who want to use his skills to prevent the assassination of the Mexican president at the hands of a corrupt General working for the cartels. Given his history, Banderas is far from reluctant to take on the job. Interestingly enough, this is the second Johnny Depp movie to appear on this list and he’s the highlight of the film as an unscrupulous CIA agent who finds himself in over his head south of the border. Cartel movies are usually downers, but Once Upon a Time in Mexico is pure popcorn!
2. No Country for Old Men
One of the strangest entries on this list of cartel movies is No Country for Old Men. The film follows a man who stumbles across a suitcase full of money in the desert, played by Josh Brolin. Of course, there’s no such thing as money for nothing, and soon he finds himself being hunted by a hitman with a truly terrible haircut (Javier Bardem). True, this movie doesn’t really have much to do with the drug trade, but the fact that it’s a cat-and-mouse thriller between a Texan and a cartel assassin is a good enough reason for me to include it on this list. This is easily one of the best Cohen Brother movies out there won a ton of accolades, including a few Academy Awards. Unfortunately, it’s not one of those movies with a happy ending, but then again, is there ever a happy ending when it comes to cartels?
1. City of God
City of God is one of the best movies ever made, period. So, of course, I was going to include it on this list of cartel movies. The film follows a pair of childhood friends who find themselves eventually going down separate paths as they grow up. One tries his best to live a good life in one of the most corrupt cities of the world, while the other embraces some of the more lucrative opportunities it offers. The movie follows them as they navigate their way through Rio de Janeiro. There have been a lot of incredible films that have graced this list of cartel movies, but none of them are half as good as City of God. It was one of my favorite movies I got a chance to study in film school and if you haven’t had a chance to see it, you’ll definitely want to find a copy ASAP. This slice of life classic shows just how inescapable cartels can be in poverty-stricken countries and that not everyone who gets sucked in are evil.
There you have it, the best of the best when it comes to cartel movies. Of course, Hollywood keeps on pumping out cartel films, so there will be plenty of changes to the rankings over the next few years. Until then, leave a comment below letting me know what your favorite cartel movies of all time are.