← Back to results
Sisu
2022 91 min Finland, United Kingdom, United States of America R 18+
★7.3
Action, War, Thriller
Director: Jalmari Helander
Trailers
Description
When an ex-soldier who discovers gold in the Lapland wilderness tries to take the loot into the city, German soldiers led by a brutal SS officer battle him.
Budget:
$6.6M
US Gross:
$7.27M
Worldwide:
$14.28M
Starring
Jorma Tommila
Actor
Aksel Hennie
Actor
Jack Doolan
Actor
Awards
Saturn Awards 2024
— Best International Feature Film
Key opinion
Sisu is a stylized, ultra-violent action film that leans heavily into spaghetti western and grindhouse tropes to depict a solitary Finnish veteran's quest for vengeance. While audiences largely praise its relentless intensity and creative brutality, critics are divided on whether its cartoonish lack of realism and simple narrative structure provide satisfying escapism or become tedious.
| Cinematography | The film excels as a visual experience, featuring stunning cinematography and atmospheric depictions of the bleak, northern wilderness. | |
| Acting | Jorma Tommila anchors the film with a compelling, largely silent performance that conveys immense grit and determination. | |
| Emotion | The intense, stylized violence and creative gore successfully cater to fans of exploitation, grindhouse, and revenge cinema. | |
| Screenplay | The film utilizes a chapter-based narrative structure reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino, which some viewers find stylish and effective, while others dismiss as derivative or unnecessary. | |
| Originality | Opinions on the film's total disregard for historical accuracy and physics are split: some find it a liberating component of the film's 'escapist' entertainment value, while others find the blatant errors and logic gaps distracting. | |
| Pacing | The pacing divides audiences, with some finding the relentless action consistently engaging, while others feel the film becomes repetitive and wearisome as it leans further into cartoonish, escalating violence. |