where was sicario filmed
Sicario was filmed primarily in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico, with additional key sequences shot in Texas and Mexico.
Where Was Sicario Filmed?
Main Filming Locations
- Albuquerque, New Mexico (primary location)
Most of Sicario was shot in and around Albuquerque, chosen for its desert landscapes and city vistas that could convincingly stand in for the U.S.âMexico border region.
Notable spots include:
* Downtown Albuquerque streets and surrounding urban areas.
* Motel 1, 2001 Candelaria Rd NE (motel scenes).
* A bank location on Candelaria Rd NE (Canyonlands bank scene).
* Rural desert areas and a parking lot used to construct the famous bridge/convoy sequence.
- Los Lunas & Corrales, New Mexico
- Wild Pony Bar, 4555 NMâ314, Los Lunas, used for Kate and Reggieâs bar scene.
* Corrales, New Mexico, appears for additional exterior scenes.
- El Paso, Texas, USA
Some borderâzone material and establishing work involved El Paso, reinforcing the storyâs U.S. side of the border setting.
- Mexico City area (Ciudad NezahualcĂłyotl)
Additional scenes were filmed in Ciudad NezahualcĂłyotl, just east of Mexico City, used for street and convoy material meant to represent Mexico, including parts of the tense border/convoy sequence.
Quick Location Table
| Region | Specific Places | Used For |
|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque, New Mexico | Motel 1; Candelaria Rd NE; downtown streets; parking lots; desert outskirts | [1][3][5]Opening raids, motel scene, bank scene, convoy/bridge buildâups, desert tunnel discovery | [3][1]
| Los Lunas, New Mexico | Wild Pony Bar, 4555 NMâ314 | [5][1][3]Bar meeting between Kate, Reggie, and Ted | [1][3]
| Corrales, New Mexico | Various exteriors | [3]Additional New Mexico landscape and town shots | [3]
| El Paso, Texas | City and borderâadjacent areas | [5][1]Borderâregion context and U.S. side visuals | [1]
| Ciudad NezahualcĂłyotl, Mexico | Urban streets near Mexico City | [9][7][5]Mexico street/convoy material and borderârelated sequences | [7][9]
Mini Story: Why These Places?
Director Denis Villeneuve and cinematographer Roger Deakins wanted landscapes that felt brutally authentic to the drugâwar border atmosphere, so they leaned on New Mexicoâs deserts and sunâblasted suburbs, then stitched them with real Mexico Cityâarea streets and border views. This mix lets the movie move from sterile U.S. offices and highways into chaotic Mexican streets without ever losing that oppressive, heatâhaze tension.
TL;DR: Sicario was filmed mostly in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico, with additional work in Los Lunas and Corrales (NM), El Paso (Texas), and Mexico Cityâs outskirts (Ciudad NezahualcĂłyotl) for the Mexico street and convoy scenes.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.
