Sisu Review: Like Nazis Getting Tortured? Then This Bloody Action Movie Is For You
Not only is Sisu an ode to modern action classics like Mad Max: Fury Road and John Wick , but its brutality and dedication to the scene makes it stand out as something else entirely. Finnish director Hjalmari Helander's film is a wild and thrilling ride full of blood, sweat and tears that will leave any action fan begging for more.
In Sisu , Helander shows a skillful hand with moderate actions. The action of the film, which lasts an hour and a half, takes place in 1945, when the Nazi regime implemented a scorched earth policy in Finland. Our protagonist, a Finnish ex-soldier named Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tomila), literally pans for gold in the Finnish wilderness and must travel to the city to claim his treasure. However, things go wrong when a group of Nazis want to kill him and take the gold.
A beautifully crafted orgy of violence
© Courtesy of Digital Trends. A man walks on the SISU field.Much like Fury Road or John Wick: Chapter 4 , Sisu's beauty lies in its execution rather than its intricate story. The dialogue isn't lacking, but it doesn't need to be, as Helander's direction creates a tense, bloody adventure full of gore and fast-paced action. From landmines that go down your throat underwater to a man who deliberately set himself on fire, Sisu isn't afraid to get angry with his actions. The kills are sudden, gruesome and almost comically excruciating, rather than a choreographed dance of violence. It is sandy and hard; If you don't want to see a horse's ribcage cut open, this is not the movie for you.
Sisu follows Aatami's lonely struggle against a Nazi group characterized as the embodiment of pure evil. Aatami is a military legend known to the Nazis and feared by all; He was nicknamed "Immortal" because of his apparent inability to die. He killed hundreds of Russian soldiers in a single army, and now he is determined to send those Nazis to another life. Through Tomila Aatami's highly violent performance, audiences are introduced to an action hero who feels like John Wick is in the middle of World War II.
It's not your typical Nazi revenge movie.
© Courtesy of Digital Trends A group of Nazis with 2 trucks in Sisu.While the action of Sis has to be seen to be seen, its willingness to slow down and think is what sets this apart as a unique survival thriller. The Nazi hordes brutalize the Aats in every way, and Helander takes no pictures to show the extent of their suffering. Yet as wild as the film's action is, it's almost shocking to remember how Helander keeps the camera off the ground. It's clear that the Finnish filmmaker takes this story personally, with his disdain for the Nazis coming up again and again. The result is a Tarantino-esque revenge story with a more personal twist of justified hatred.
Helander's touch is evident throughout the film, whether the action is intense or not. In fact, the film does not start with a wild scenario, as in many action films. Rather, it begins with an introduction about the land, a worker, something like the opening of There Will Be Blood . Sisu 's ability to let the audience admire his contrasting images creates a unique action where blood, dirt and fear are the main language of the film. Wide shots capture the vast but unforgiving beauty of Finland's Lapland region, contrasting the sounds of war with the flames. The film reminds me of Robert Eggers' excellent 2022 Viking film The Northman , with its wild imagery juxtaposed with a guttural soundscape.
Is Sisu worth watching?
Sometimes Sisu falls into his own trap, becomes a bit regimented and uncomfortable with his epic situation. The film is divided into chapters, causing abrupt breaks in the entire plot, which while sometimes looking great, often feels like unnecessary decoration. It could also benefit from a brisker pace, as its quiet moments begin to straddle the line between repetitive and effective as the film approaches its final act. Even so, Sisu keeps upping the ante and the action ramps up, never leaving the viewer with another gruesome kill.
While Sisu isn't a perfect movie, it's an effective action movie for people who have seen John Wick: Chapter 4 and want something different. It's an adrenaline-pumping tale of rage and revenge that turns into a beautiful, thrilling but brutal historical adventure through Hell and back.
Sisu is playing in a number of theaters across the country.
