Sisu (2022) - Wild Ride Without Any Depth - 7/10 (01/06/23)

Sisu is a Finnish historical fiction action film inspired by the works of Nicolas Winding Refn and Quentin Tarantino. This movie features a quiet, isolated and gritty protagonist facing dangerous challenges as in the movie Valhalla Rising and the movie is subdivided into different chapters introducing new locations, characters and sudden outbursts of violence as in The Hateful Eight. The story revolves around a former Finnish soldier living isolated in Lapland after having lost his family. When he finds gold, he decides to ride to the next town in order to exchange said gold to lots of money. However, several Nazi soldiers come across him and make the simple mission a seemingly impossible challenge.

This movie convinces on several levels. First and foremost, the stunning isolated landscapes of Lapland are a thing of beauty if you favour the wilderness of the northern hemisphere. Up next, the quiet protagonist certainly has a certain rough charme that will make viewers root for him. The side characters varying from sadistic Nazi soldiers to rebellious female prisoners add some spice to the movie. The action scenes are quite brutal but also exaggerated in a way that will provide some laughs throughout the movie. Especially the scenes in the river are quite memorable in that regard. The film's showdown is completely over the top and will have genre fans crying tears of joy.

On the negative side, the film's plot is extremely predictable as it has been done time and time again in the past. The movie is also completely exaggerated and throws any attempts at historical accuracy violently out of the window right from the start. At times, this movie feels more like a video game in the key of Far Cry.

At the end of the day, Sisu is worth being enjoyed once at a local theatre with plenty of cineasts applauding, cheering and laughing throughout the film. If that isn't possible for you, make sure to watch this film with a friend and a selection of fine drinks. Switch your brain off and go along for the ride. Once the wild ride is over however, there is no interest in going on it again. This is why I wouldn't recommend purchasing this film. Sisu is no memorable highlight but a brutal action flick that should be enjoyed by its target audience.