For anyone who loves the crime thrillerSicario,there is another gritty thriller they should check out, which checks many of the same boxes.Written by Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone) and directed by Denis Villeneuve(Dune),Sicariotells the story of an idealistic FBI agent (Emily Blunt) who joins a task force dealing with the war on drugs on the U.S.-Mexico border. This is where she has her ideals and morals pushed to the limit whenSicarioshows there are no good guyson either side of this violent war.
Savagesisa 2012 Oliver Stone movieabout two best friends who are low-key drug dealers in Laguna Beach, California.With Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights)and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass) starring as the two friends, theyfind their lives turned upside down when a powerful Mexican drug cartel sets up shopin town. When the two friends remain reluctant to start a partnership with the cartel, they learn the hard way what happens when they say no to drug dealers operating on an entirely different level.
2012’s Savages Is Perfect If You Loved Sicario
Savages Shows A Different Angle On The War On Drugs
Sicariois a movie that shows how dangerous and immoral the war on drugs is, especially at the U.S.-Mexico border. As he has done with histelevision shows likeTulsa KingandMayor of Kingstown,Taylor Sheridan created a world that lives in a shade of gray,where the true good guys are often beaten down and left defeated in the shadow of the higher powers who rule over the world. While Denis Villeneuve is not known for crime thrillers, his sci-fi films have similar themes, with stories fromBlade Runner 2049andDuneas good examples.
Oliver Stone is possibly one of the masters of making films with people living on the edge, and in some cases, completely stepping over the edge when it comes to immoral characters who will do anything to achieve their goals.Savagesis no different. Chon (Kitsch) and Ben (Taylor-Johnson) are sympathetic characters, but they operate their drug business using seeds that Chon smuggled out of Afghanistan. They are nice people, but they are still criminals in the end.
$84.9 million ($30 million budget)
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$82.9 million ($45 million budget)
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IfSavagesandSicarioslam one thing down hard, it is the idea thatonce a person gets into the drug business or the drug war, there is no escaping.Chon and Ben want to sell their business to the cartel and get out without anyone getting hurt, but the cartel rejects this and demands they remain involved. When Chon has some of his Navy SEAL friends attack the cartel, it marks the beginning of the end for the lives of these two friends and the people they care about.
WhileSicarioleaves things a little open for interpretation at the end,Savageswraps things up with a nice bow.
Savagesis a film that shows how betrayals and backstabbing can destroy everyone on both sides. However, it is a little different fromSicarioconcerning the ending. Both have violence, deception, and tell an interesting tale of the war on drugs, but from different points of view. That said, whileSicarioleaves things a little open for interpretation at the end,Savageswraps things up with a nice bow, which might be one reason the film received more lackluster reviews.
Savages Wasn’t Appreciated Upon Release, But Deserves More Praise
Oliver Stone Delivers A Thriling Crime Thriller That Was Mostly Overlooked
WhileSicarioremains a beloved crime thriller,Savageshas been mostly forgotten,largely thanks to the lackluster reviews when it was released.The film was a small box-office success, making $83 million on a $45 million budget. However, its 50%Rotten Tomatoesscore from critics and 54% from the audience ensured it would disappear from the public consciousness in a short time.
However, many of the bad reviews came because of the longer running time and the false ending that had many viewers possibly rejecting it outright before realizing Oliver Stone was playing a game with them. There were also several complaints about Stone’s tendency to create dark characters who mostly don’t deserve redemption. However, for Stone’s fans, there is a lot here to love.
Demián Bichir
Alex Reyes
The supporting cast is great and, not surprisingly, all deliver what Stone was looking for. John Travolta is a corrupt DEA agent, Salma Hayek is the head of the Mexican drug cartel, and Benicio del Toro is her enforcer, easily the most evil and vindictive person in the movie.Even Blake Lively, playing a woman dating both Chon and Ben, delivers one of her best performances.
Savagesis a perfect movie forSicariofans looking for something a little closer to ground level in the U.S.-Mexico drug situation, without the worry of following the U.S. government’s dark ops teams coming in to kill everyone. While not a perfect movie, it is a solid crime thriller that fans ofSicarioshould enjoy.
