Josh Brolin’s Gritty Action Thriller Just Landed on Hulu After Leaving Netflix

Alright, if you somehow missed one of the best modern action thrillers of the last decade—or just want an excuse to rewatch cartel drama with a killer cast—it’s your lucky week. The 2015 film Sicario (yeah, that’s the one with Josh Brolin and Emily Blunt looking pretty stressed out), is about to switch streaming homes. And if you hop on Hulu, it’ll be right there in your library. Let’s break this down because there’s a surprising amount to this movie’s backstory.

'Sicario' Switches Platforms

Hulu is bringing Sicario on board starting Friday, May 1, 2026, at 9am Pacific (that’s noon if you’re on the East Coast). Pay attention, though: The switch is happening the same day it leaves Netflix. Basically, Hulu is picking up the baton the second Netflix drops it.

What’s the Story Again?

Sicario is Denis Villeneuve’s tough-as-nails action drama about an FBI agent, Kate Macer (played by Emily Blunt, who is perpetually out of her depth for two straight hours), as she joins a shadowy government task force going after the Mexican cartel kingpin Fausto Alarcón. But (because nothing is simple), the deeper Kate goes into this messy mission, the more skeeved out she is by the team’s ethics—or complete lack thereof.

Josh Brolin is Matt, the suspiciously laid-back leader of the operation. Then there’s Benicio del Toro delivering possibly the longest side-eye in movie history as Alejandro, a mysterious consultant you really don’t want to cross. Throw in Daniel Kaluuya as Kate’s partner Reggie, plus Jon Bernthal, Victor Garber, and Jeffrey Donovan, and you’ve got a cast stacked like a prestige drama binge-night.

The Sheridan-Villeneuve Trilogy, Sort Of

Here’s something movie nerds love: Sicario was actually writer Taylor Sheridan’s first film in what he considers his 'American Frontier Trilogy.' The trilogy continues with Hell or High Water and Wind River (no, there’s no plot connection, but there’s plenty of dirt, trucks, and morally gray law enforcement). FYI, this was also Sheridan’s screenwriting debut—pretty strong start.

The Awards and Reception

When Sicario premiered at Cannes in 2015, it made enough noise to earn a Palme d'Or nomination (that’s the festival’s top prize, in case you don’t speak film festival). The US release happened later that September, starting out small and then expanding as word spread that this wasn’t just another shoot-em-up.

Critics loved it. Audiences mostly loved it. Current Rotten Tomatoes numbers: 91% from critics, 85% from the fans. That’s about as close as you get to universal agreement on something this bleak and unsentimental.

In summary: Sicario scored three Oscar nominations, made almost triple its $30 million production budget (about $85 million worldwide), and got enough buzz to justify a (less celebrated) sequel.

And the Sequels...

• Sicario: Day of the Soldado landed in 2018, directed by Stefano Sollima (Villeneuve had moved on to bigger sci-fi planets).
• Sicario: Capos (working title) is apparently in development, so the moral ambiguity and desert violence machine is not slowing down yet.

So, if you’ve missed the first Sicario run on Netflix or just want to remind yourself why Blunt, Brolin, and del Toro have perpetual thousand-yard stares, Hulu has you covered soon enough. Just, maybe don’t expect a cheerful Friday night watch.