Diksha Sundriyal
Starring Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, and Benicio del Toro, ‘Sicario’ begins in a city in Arizona, where an FBI raid of a cartel safe house leads to a shocking discovery. Following this, a joint task force is created to catch the cartel’s leader, which brings FBI officer Kate Macer into the orbit of CIA agent Matt Graver and a mysterious man named Alejandro Gillick. The events of the film move from Arizona to Mexico, with the dangerous locales of Juarez also coming into the picture. Two locations play a central role in the movie, but interestingly, neither of them is in Arizona. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Motel 1 and Wild Pony Bar are Real Places, But Not in Arizona
While the events of ‘Sicario’ begin with and largely take place in Arizona, the film itself was filmed in New Mexico. The state’s tax incentives made it a good prospect for filming, and the film’s cast and crew used different real locations as well as creative sets to add a realistic tone to the story. One of the major locations in the movie is Motel 1. It appears repeatedly in the movie, especially since the team’s return from Juarez, when Guillermo is extradited and later interrogated.
The filming for the scenes featuring the motel took place in the real Motel 1, which is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at 2001 Candelaria Road North East. This is where the team sets up camp while setting the trap for Manuel Diaz, who will eventually lead them to his boss. This is also where Kate is almost killed by a fellow police officer who turns out to be a corrupt cop. She meets him at the Wild Pony Bar, where she goes with her co-worker and friend Reggie. He knows Ted and believes him to be a good guy, which is why he encourages Kate to indulge with him.
The scenes featuring the bar were filmed in the real Wild Pony Bar in Los Lunas, New Mexico, located at 4555 Highway 314 South West. Fans of the movie can visit both locations. However, any intent to stay at the motel or have a drink at the bar will be met with disappointment because both locations are permanently closed. The motel was torn down a few years back, and reportedly, there is nothing but a vacant lot in its place. The building of the bar stands, but it has not been functional for a while now.
