Taylor Sheridan's wildly underrated movie sequel is the perfect fix if you're missing 'Yellowstone'
Taylor Sheridan seems to have an unshakable grip on audiences. The multi-hyphenate writer-actor-director-producer is the mastermind behind the 'Yellowstone' television franchise, chronicling the Dutton family of ranchers across generations with some fascinating detours. Sheridan spent years as an actor—yes, he even appeared in an episode of 'Star Trek: Enterprise'—before earning an Academy Award nomination for his brilliant 2016 neo-Western screenplay, 'Hell or High Water', according to The Digital Fix. But 'Yellowstone' truly propelled him to household name status. Since then, he’s created hit after hit, including 'Tulsa King', starring Sylvester Stallone as a mafia capo. At this point, everything Sheridan touches seems destined for streaming success—and now one of his earlier works is enjoying a resurgence on home video.
After completing the first season of 'Yellowstone', Sheridan returned to Mexico as the writer of 'Sicario: Day of the Soldado', the 2018 sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s critically acclaimed 'Sicario'. Currently in Prime Video’s Top 10 but leaving the platform in January, the film continues the story of two familiar faces: Josh Brolin’s CIA operative Matt Graver and Benicio del Toro’s assassin Alejandro Gillick. Their shady mission along the US-Mexico border throws out all the rules of engagement, slipping deeper into the escalating war on drugs. With a darker and more violent tone, the sequel aims to push boundaries, but opinions remain divided.
Though Denis Villeneuve didn’t return to direct 'Day of the Soldado'—that job went to Italian filmmaker Stefano Sollima—Sheridan’s screenplay sets the tone for the film’s morally murky world, as per The Hollywood Reporter. The movie, which sits at a 62% rating on Rotten Tomatoes compared to its predecessor's 92%, drew criticism for failing to capture what made Sicario so special. Collider’s Matt Goldberg gave it a C rating, describing it as an efficiently made film with strong performances but arguing that Sheridan seemed to misinterpret what fans loved about the original. According to Goldberg, the sequel leans too heavily on darkness and violence, missing the nuanced storytelling that elevated Sicario.
Another notable difference is the absence of Emily Blunt’s moral compass as FBI agent Kate Macer. Sollima intentionally excluded her character to create a story devoid of clear ethical boundaries, adding to the film’s discomfort. While del Toro and Brolin carry the film with strong performances, their mission—to dismantle cartels allegedly smuggling terrorists—raises questions about the implications of its storyline in today’s political climate.
For those eager to explore Sheridan’s earlier work, the original 'Sicario' remains the stronger pick. It’s currently streaming on Prime Video and Tubi, offering a more balanced and universally praised take on Sheridan’s knack for crafting gritty, high-stakes thrillers.