'Sisu' Review: Gory Shoot-Em-Up is a Thrilling How to Guide to Steamrolling Nazis (Finnish Style)
Sisu
R: For strong bloody violence, gore, and language
Runtime: 1 Hour and 32 Minutes
Production Companies: Subzero Film Entertainment, Stage 6 Films, Good Chaos
Distributor: Lionsgate
Director: Jalmari Helander
Writer: Jalmari Helander
Cast: Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan, Mimosa Willamo
Release Date: April 28, 2023
In Theaters Only
Since John Wick became Lionsgate’s rags-to-riches action franchise, they were feening to find the next ultra-violent action flick to follow in its footsteps. During TIFF 2022, they found their golden goose with Jalmari Helander’s Sisu, a “Midnight Madness” action flick about an old man who must fuck up some Nazis on his way to the bank. When I went to see Guy Ritchie’s Operation Fortune last month, the red band trailer for Sisu played beforehand. When the lead, Aatami Korpi, knifed a Nazi through his skull, I knew I had to check this movie out.
Set in 1944 Finland during the Lapland War, Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila), a prospector of few words, finds shiny golden nuggets while mining for gold. With his bag full of heavy golden nuggets, Korpi and his cute dog make their way across the wilderness to the nearest town. In the process, they encounter Nazis on a scorched-earth retreat mission led by SS Officer Obersturmführer Bruno (Aksel Hennie). Their arsenal includes tanks and trucks full of countless soldiers and Finnish cargo, including kidnapped women. They see that Korpi is carrying gold and pull a gun on him. Little do they know, Korpi is a ruthless Winter War veteran with a particular set of skills. Korpi draws first blood, taking down the Nazi platoon on his treacherous journey to the bank.
There’s no better premise for an action flick than “[Literally Anyone] vs. Nazis.” Watching someone fuck up a Nazi group—whether it takes place during WWII or (sadly) in modern times—will have me kicking and screaming with joy. There’s no denying that Sisu had me smiling ear to ear as Nazis got Mein Kampf’ed up.
Sisu’s plot is as straightforward as classic ‘80s B-movie action flicks; a man traveling from point A to point B must execute enemies who asked for it. Writer/director Jalmari Helander is actively aware of his story’s simplicity and compensates by wasting no time in amping up the action. When Korpi pops his first Nazi within the first dozen minutes, Helander cranks up the carnage and starts the killing party. Operating on ballistic energy, Helander displays all the brutal ways you can kill a Nazi. Sisu is relentless with its violence, relishing in the hyper-active fatalities courtesy of Korpi.
Helander’s exhilarating direction stands out through the barren Finnish outdoors. Thank God this is one of those action films set during the day, for it prospers from visible action with natural lighting. Whether Korpi is killing in close combat or fleeing from the Nazi’s tank cannon shots, cinematographer Kjell Lagerroos’ lens stays in tight proximity. His emphasis on the vast landscapes of ‘40s Finland through a wide lens elevates the film’s immersive Western atmosphere. Action flicks like Sisu usually get the direct-to-DVD/streaming death sentence, but Helander’s filmmaking bears a high-octane, crowd-pleasing energy worth the admission price. The special effects by Finland-based Troll VFX add to the bloody fun.
Using items like his trusty pickaxe, mine bombs planted across the road, and a big ass blade, Korpi (aka “The Immortal”) makes his action star-making showcase; you instantly adore him. Actor Jorma Tommila delivers a badass performance, exuding cathartic rage and ferocity in his physicality without saying much. He gives the term “silent but deadly” a new meaning. Korpi may lack the depth of other current action heroes, but for a man of few words, he’s a frightening presence full of determination. Much of Tommila’s performance requires stealth and expressionism.
Helander adds a comical aura to the graphic onscreen kills where Korpi isn’t even onscreen, but the result of his handiwork is. All the kills have classic Looney Tunes energy but with blood as the Nazis, led by SS Obersturmführer Bruno, make ridiculous expressions before seeing their doom. If Korpi is Bugs, Bruno is Yosemite Sam as a general. Most of the comedy comes from Korpi showing Bruno up, taking out his men one by one, and Bruno making a frustrated expression. It’s a ‘40s shoot-'em-up with some classic ‘40s-era slapstick with guts and gore. As the action becomes exceedingly silly, like a damn cartoon, I anticipated Korpi turning to the camera and saying, “Ain’t I a stinker?”
When I said, “the action becomes exceedingly silly,” I meant relatively dumber. Helander starts by evoking the flair of Chad Stahelski’s John Wick, but as Sisu progresses, he gets on his Michael Bay shit and swings for the blockbuster fences. With its escalating bloodshed, the action gets dumber and actively asks you to suspend your disbelief by thinking that old man Korpi (emphasis on OLD) is as “immortal” as his backstory. He takes so much fatal damage that would’ve killed him halfway through the film. With the most random deus ex machina, he comes back to life kicking, sprier than ever before. I don’t mind having to shut off my brain, especially for a mindless action flick about gratifying Finnish-on-Nazi violence but the movie reaches Looney Tunes territory, defying all the laws of physics for spectacle.
Sisu is a ballistic Nazi-mowing thrill ride sure to fill Lionsgate’s John Wick void. Through Jalmari Helander’s solid action choreography, tight editing, and an action star in Jorma Tommila being born, this ultraviolent flick will make everyone raise their Finnish flags no matter where they are.
