5 Action Thriller Movies Better Than Sicario

Published Jul 23, 2026, 12:15 PM EDT Padraig is a Senior Features Writer and has been part of Screen Rant since 2017. Padraig is a writer, editor and retired Game of Thrones extra who has been writing about movies and TV online for over a decade. He has also written for The Irish Times, Den Of Geek, Little White Lies and many more. It's pronounced Paw-rick, BTW. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Sicario has come to be seen as one of the best thrillers of the 21st Century, which it absolutely is; that said, there's a small group of movies that beat it out. Taylor Sheridan's "American Frontier" trilogy consists of Sicario, Hell or High Water, and Wind River. All three are Neo-Westerns that took a harsh look at modern-day America, and all the social, racial and political turmoil that comes with it. Sicario is a 10/10 modern classic, and while it was met with praise upon release, it's only gotten better with age. The film is an almost unbearably taut thriller following Emily Blunt's FBI agent as she's pulled into a task force whose true purpose she barely understands. This Denis Villeneuve movie is a masterclass in economical storytelling, with some incredible setpieces like the freeway standoff. The Sheridan-verse · Ranch Assessment Taylor Sheridan Trivia Challenge 🏠 Yellowstone Protect the ranch 🐴 1883 The Oregon Trail 🌾 1923 Drought & dust 🔒 Kingstown Prison politics 🎼 Tulsa King Made man, new town SADDLE UP → 01 The Dutton family has controlled the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States for over a century. In which state is the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch located? A Wyoming B Montana C Idaho D Colorado ✓ Correct! The Yellowstone Dutton Ranch sits near the border of Yellowstone National Park in Montana. The show is filmed primarily in Montana, with the real-life Chief Joseph Ranch in Darby serving as the Dutton homestead. ✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Montana. The Dutton Ranch borders Yellowstone National Park in Big Sky Country. While the rugged landscape could pass for Wyoming or Idaho, the show is set — and largely filmed — in Montana. NEXT → 02 John Dutton is the iron-willed patriarch who will stop at nothing to protect his family’s land. Which Oscar-winning actor portrayed him for the first four seasons of Yellowstone? A Sam Elliott B Josh Brolin C Kevin Costner D Kurt Russell ✓ Correct! Kevin Costner brought gravitas and quiet intensity to John Dutton, anchoring Yellowstone as one of the most-watched shows on cable television. His departure ahead of Season 5B became one of the biggest stories in TV. ✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Kevin Costner. While Sam Elliott did appear in 1883, Josh Brolin has his own Sheridan series (Outer Range isn’t Sheridan’s), and Kurt Russell hasn’t joined the Sheridan-verse. Costner defined John Dutton. NEXT → 03 In the prequel series 1883, a Civil War veteran leads his family on a brutal wagon-train journey from Texas to Montana to find a new home. What is the name of this original Dutton patriarch? A James Dutton B Jacob Dutton C John Dutton Sr. D Emmett Dutton ✓ Correct! James Dutton, played by Tim McGraw, is the Civil War veteran who leads his wife Margaret and their children on the perilous journey west. His daughter Elsa narrates the series, and the family’s arrival in Montana establishes the Yellowstone Ranch. ✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is James Dutton. Jacob Dutton is the character Harrison Ford plays in 1923 — James’s brother. John Dutton Sr. doesn’t appear until later generations, and Emmett Dutton doesn’t exist in the Sheridan-verse. NEXT → 04 On the Dutton Ranch, certain cowboys receive a permanent mark of loyalty — a hot-iron brand seared into their skin that signifies a blood oath to the ranch. What symbol is this feared brand? A A “D” inside a circle B A horseshoe C A skull and crossbones D The letter “Y” ✓ Correct! The branded “Y” is the Yellowstone Ranch’s livestock mark, but for ranch hands, wearing it on their chest means a lifelong oath of silence and loyalty. “Taking someone to the train station” is what happens to those who betray it. ✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is the letter “Y” — for Yellowstone. The brand is both a ranch identifier and a mark of absolute loyalty. Characters like Rip, Kayce, and Jimmy all bear the “Y” brand, signifying they’ve sworn their lives to the ranch. NEXT → 05 In 1923, the Dutton family battles drought, Prohibition, and encroaching modernity during the Great Depression era. Which legendary Hollywood actor plays patriarch Jacob Dutton? A Robert Redford B Harrison Ford C Clint Eastwood D Tommy Lee Jones ✓ Correct! Harrison Ford stars as Jacob Dutton alongside Helen Mirren as his wife Cara. Ford’s casting marked his first major television role and brought massive star power to the expanding Sheridan-verse. The series is set during Prohibition and the early Depression. ✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Harrison Ford. In his first major TV role, Ford plays Jacob Dutton, brother of James Dutton from 1883. Helen Mirren stars opposite him as Cara Dutton. Their star power helped make 1923 Paramount+’s biggest premiere. NEXT → 06 Beth Dutton’s volatile love story with a tough ranch foreman is one of Yellowstone’s most beloved storylines. The two eventually marry in a surprise ceremony. Who is Beth’s husband? A Lloyd Pierce B Walker C Rip Wheeler D Jimmy Hurdstrom ✓ Correct! Rip Wheeler, played by Cole Hauser, is John Dutton’s most loyal enforcer and Beth’s husband. Taken in by John as a teenager after a traumatic past, Rip would do anything for the Dutton family — and his fierce devotion to Beth became a fan-favorite romance. ✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Rip Wheeler. Lloyd Pierce is the bunkhouse elder, Walker is a ranch hand and musician, and Jimmy Hurdstrom is the hapless cowboy who eventually gets sent to the 6666 Ranch in Texas. Only Rip won Beth’s wild heart. NEXT → 07 In Mayor of Kingstown, a family serves as power brokers in a Michigan town where the prison industry is the only business. Which family navigates this dark world of incarceration and corruption? A The McLusky family B The Reilly family C The Kingsley family D The Dutton family ✓ Correct! The McLusky family, led by Mike McLusky (Jeremy Renner), acts as unofficial mediators between prisoners, gangs, police, and politicians in Kingstown, Michigan. The show is one of Sheridan’s grittiest explorations of the American justice system. ✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is the McLusky family. Jeremy Renner stars as Mike McLusky, who inherits the role of “mayor” — an unofficial power broker between inmates, gangs, and law enforcement. The Duttons are Yellowstone’s dynasty, not Kingstown’s. NEXT → 08 One Dutton sibling is an adopted son and ambitious lawyer who frequently clashes with his family — sometimes even conspiring against them. His complex loyalty drives much of the show’s drama. Who is he? A Kayce Dutton B Lee Dutton C Tate Dutton D Jamie Dutton ✓ Correct! Jamie Dutton, played by Wes Bentley, is the adopted son and Harvard-educated lawyer whose desperate need for his father’s approval and political ambition create some of Yellowstone’s most dramatic betrayals. His rivalry with Beth is legendary. ✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Jamie Dutton. Kayce is John’s biological youngest son (a former Navy SEAL), Lee is the eldest son who dies in Season 1, and Tate is Kayce’s young son. Only Jamie is the adopted lawyer who conspires against the family. REVEAL MY SCORE → Round-Up Complete Your Ranch Record / 8 Are you a ranch foreman — or headed straight to the train station? ↻ RIDE AGAIN Sicario earns its regular spot in any list of the best thrillers ever made. However, there are a select few thrillers from yesteryear that rank slightly higher. These are movies that almost appear effortless in how well they fit together, from the great action to screenwriting and beyond. In some cases, they broke ground for the genre itself and even served as inspiration for Sicario. 5 Heat (1995) ©Warner Bros. Heat's place on this list should come as zero surprise. This Michael Mann epic has almost become the movie everybody thinks of whenever the word "thriller" is deployed. It's a near three-hour saga following the inevitable collision course between a dedicated cop (Al Pacino) and thief (Robert De Niro), and how this clash affects all the people in their lives. Mann had developed Heat for a solid decade before filming it, and even shot a prototype version with the failed TV pilot L.A. Takedown. While the film is praised for its setpieces and technical aspects, it's a fantastic story, first and foremost. Despite the large cast of characters, it's always easy to keep track of the various, interweaving plots, and it's got an impeccable cast who all do great work. Michael Mann will turn his Heat 2 novel into a movie, with Christian Bale replacing Al Pacino as Hanna and Leonardo DiCaprio stepping into the Chris Shiherlis role previously played by Val Kilmer. Heat has a lot on its mind, from people being consumed by their obsessions (and the emotional fallout that causes) to how thin the line between cop and criminal can be. While not an action film per say, it has some of the best heist sequences ever put onto screen. This includes the bank heist shootout, a contender for the best big-screen shootout of all time. Heat rewards multiple rewatches too, as it's always possible to catch new details or nuances on new viewings. The movie should be required for any burgeoning film fan, and there is a reason it's been so relentlessly homaged and ripped off by films like The Town or Den of Thieves in the years since. 4 Sorcerer (1977) Coming off the back of The French Connection and The Exorcist, director William Friedkin could have made just about anything he wanted. He elected to remake the classic French thriller The Wages of Fear, which has arguably the purest thriller hook ever: a group of desperate men are hired to transport unstable dynamite to a raging oil fire, and must navigate dangerous terrain while hoping the dynamite doesn't just suddenly explode. Sorcerer arrived the same summer as a little film called Star Wars, and was intended to be a huge blockbuster. There might be an alternate universe where Sorcerer was a huge hit while Star Wars underperformed, but that wasn't the case. Friedkin's thriller was a huge bomb and was quickly forgotten while George Lucas' space opera became a cultural landmark. Leaping ahead nearly 50 years, Sorcerer has come to be seen as a masterpiece. It could be Friedkin's greatest work: a sweaty, muscular action thriller where a small band of anti-heroes is forced to work together to overcome near-impossible odds. It also has a legendary score by Tangerine Dream, which adds to the movie's vibes-heavy atmosphere. Sorcerer was also shot practically under especially grueling conditions, and every inch of the pain that went into making it is infused into the movie. If you thought Sicario's freeway sequence was tense, wait till you see the bridge crossing in this underrated '70s gem. 3 Man On Fire (2004) Credit: MovieStillsDB Denzel Washington was a late bloomer when it came to action movies, and Man on Fire is the film that made him an unlikely icon of the genre. This adaptation of the A. J. Quinnell novel cast Washington as bodyguard Creasy, who goes on a murderous rampage in Mexico City when the girl he was protecting gets kidnapped. Man on Fire has two other adaptations - a 1987 movie and a 2026 Netflix show - but Tony Scott's film remains the definitive version. Needless to say, Washington is superb, with his Creasy starting as an isolated burnout, before finding a new lease on life via his job, before finally becoming a human Terminator. It's chiefly a fantastic character study, and Washington is supported by an excellent cast, including Christopher Walken, Mickey Rourke and, of course, Dakota Fanning. The bond that grows between Creasy and Fanning's Pita feels genuine and earned, and viewers will be equally devastated by her kidnapping and supposed death as Creasy is. Ever the innovator, Scott really uses the camerawork and editing to get inside the increasingly fractured mindset of its main character. Man on Fire is also gifted with a solid script, which gifts Washington with suitable badass quotes like "Forgiveness is between them and God. It's my job to arrange the meeting." 2 Wind River (2017) Wind River was technically Taylor Sheridan's directorial debut (he has disowned his credit on the cheapie horror movie Vile) and is the best thing he's made. It's a powerful, emotionally devastating thriller where a murder investigation inside a reservation uncovers dark secrets. There's a stark simplicity to both the filmmaking and storytelling that makes Wind River work so well. It also gave Jeremy Renner his best leading man vehicle - and that includes The Hurt Locker. He's perfect casting for the film's heartbroken but emotionally reserved protagonist, and Sheridan gives Renner some great monologues to chew over. Wind River's casting, in general, is spot-on, which includes Elizabeth Olsen, Jon Bernthal and Yellowstone's Gil Birmingham. Ultimately, the murder investigation isn't that hard to solve, but it does lead to one of the intense standoffs Sheridan has ever staged, which then leads to a ferocious firefight. Wind River's ending sees that justice is done, but it doesn't bring the grieving any real solace either. After overseeing his sprawling TV empire for so long, it would be nice to see Sheridan returning to the stripped-back style of his 2017 masterpiece. 1 No Country For Old Men (2007) Josh Brolin might quietly be the king of the Neo-Western genre, as both Sicario and No Country for Old Men prove. This Coen Brothers outing is a mix of thriller, action movie and even existential horror, as Brolin's Moss unknowingly damns himself and everyone he cares about after stealing a money from the site of a botched drug deal. Soon, a near-supernatural hitman named Chigurh (Javier Bardem) is on his trail. While some movies that get showered with awards can age poorly, No Country for Old Men is a huge exception. It's perfect from frame one, from the gorgeous cinematography to its blend of dry humor with an impending sense of doom. No Country for Old Men might also be the closest thing the Coens came to a straight actioner. They stage some excellent shootouts, including Moss and Chigurh exchanging shots in a hotel. The film has way more on its mind than being an action flick though. It's a movie pondering the inevitability of death, aging and questioning whether justice even exists. Release Date September 17, 2015 Runtime 122 minutes Director Denis Villeneuve Writers Taylor Sheridan Producers Basil Iwanyk, Edward McDonnell, Ellen H. Schwartz, Molly Smith, Thad Luckinbill, Stacy Perskie Sequel(s) Sicario: Day Of The Soldado