Sisu (2023) Dir. Jalmari Helander

Back in the 90s Tarantino-style meant criminals, nonlinear narratives and pop culture references. 30 years later and it now means Nazis and horse-riding Western revenge. The blood and violence has pretty much stayed the same.

Why am I starting here with Tarantino. Well, new film Sisu contains a bit of both and if this low-budget cult-inspired b-movie isn’t one of Tarantino’s faves of the year, I’ll eat my hat. And if not, then it’s definitely one of mine.

Written and directed by Finnish filmmaker Jalmari Helander, we are introduced to an old man who has distanced himself from World War 2 and is prospecting for gold in the wilderness. After finding a huge number of nuggets, he sets off with his treasure on horseback with his trusty dog. However, the war soon finds him with a convoy of Nazis, and their tank, crossing his path.

As the German soldiers attempt to relieve him of his riches, they get a taste of his primeval violence and we discover this man, Aatami Korpi (played well by a haggard Jorma Tommila), is a legendary commando and “one man death squad”. Quite. He then takes out a platoon of soldiers but another squad finds a rock of gold and decides to make chase - in their tank no less  - with shells flying close to his horse as he attempts to flee.

The film then moves to a minefield increasing the blood and gore and we get a taste of the proper grindhouse vibes the film is giving off with lens flare, Revenant-style wild locations and standoffs that hark to Sergio Leone. 

A group of captured (and abused) young girls adds some seriousness to the excessive proceedings and the film is a never-ending onslaught of overt-the-top action which delivers in each violent set-piece.

Aatami is pursued by an unnerving but always-brilliant Aksel Hennie (The Trip) as Nazi Commander Bruno Helldorf and their cat and mouse confrontations increase intensity as the film progresses. Whilst an injured Aatami uses a pierced petrol tank to set himself on fire to avoid a dog-attack, Helldorf soon has him hanging from a pole assuming he’s dead.

We're certainly not short of unlikely old guys getting violent (Nobody, Taken, Pig, John Wick) but at 91 minutes, it doesn’t waste a second with its stronger levels of gore and a pace that never takes its foot off the gas.

An ingenious (if disgusting) way to get oxygen whilst underwater was a stomach-churning delight and I began thinking that in some parallel universe this could be the basis of a 5th Indiana Jones film with tanks, bikes, planes and trucks all playing their parts in well-shot action moments.

From its unrestrained ferocity and rapid bouts of bloodshed, Sisu delivers a host of entertaining cult-film-inspired action in a fury of aggressive slaughter. And it has to be said, it’s always immensely satisfying to see Nazis getting punched (and shot, and burnt, and blown up, and stabbed…and much more). Brutal deluxe.

★★★★★

5/5

Michael Sales