"SISU" (2023) IS A FUN AND BRUTAL CALLBACK TO ACTION EXPLOITATION FILMS
I grew up in what some consider the heyday of Action cinema, the 80s and 90s. During these decades we saw the emergence of numerous action superstars such as Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Van Damme, Segal, Willis, Lundgren, and the list goes on. Basically, the casts of all the Expendables movies, and we aren’t even going into the international stars that lay cinematic waste to the screens they graced. You might be wondering what Action has to do with horror, and the Venn diagram has more overlap than you might think. Consider recent films such as the JOHN WICK series. While they are clearly action-oriented, they feature brutal levels of violence that are sure to make even the most seasoned horror veterans squint. The same goes for lots of recent ultra-violent films from Indonesia such as those from TIMO TJAHJANTO, whose work started in the horror genre with his absolutely astounding co-directed effort for V/H/S/2, “Safe Haven”. This phenomenon isn’t a new one. In fact, during the grindhouse era of the 70s, a wave of ultra-violent action films emerged, as did a host of other exploitation-centric revisionist-style history films about various conflicts both real and imagined. These are exactly the kinds of films that paved the way for a film like SISU.
Releasing in theaters nationwide on APRIL 28, 2023, SISU is some parts bone-crunching John Wick violence with some parts historical fiction, but is the sum of those parts worth watching?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
When an ex-soldier who discovers gold in the Lapland wilderness tries to take the loot into the city, Nazi soldiers led by a brutal SS officer battle him.
HOW IS IT?
One of the things I know about myself is that I love excessive violence in movies. In spite of how unrealistic, far-fetched, and downright absurd some of the stunt and choreography work can be in these ultra-violent films, I lap it up like a thirsty dog on a hot summer’s day. SISU is the kind of movie that is comfort food for someone like me. A comic-book-style story that is aesthetically and narratively similar to an adult graphic novel, SISU is heaps of fun for those like me who enjoy the over-the-top excess of exploding body parts and breakneck speed-fighting choreography. While it sometimes errs too much on the side of the absurd and unbelievable, that shouldn’t distract from the joy of watching one man single-handedly take down Nazis in gory excess.
SISU’s plot doesn’t need much explanation, which is good because a more complicated narrative journey would distract from some of the film’s core competencies; violence and cinematography. Fans of Spaghetti Westerns will no doubt be in awe of the technical aspects of the film that draw a lot of similarities to some of Sergio Leone’s best films. The sprawling, and downright beautiful, vistas of the Finnish Lapland region serve as the perfect backdrop for our hero, Aatami Korpi (JORMA TOMMILA) who does the most Western thing ever in a non-western film, pans for gold. Once he discovers said gold, his journey to liquidate it starts which leads him to an encounter with a Nazi death squad retreating in barbaric fashion as Germany is on the cusp of losing the war. Aatami’s character probably says less than 10 words the entire film, but he doesn’t need to speak to know he’s dead serious. The strong, silent, and aging protagonist emits a certain “don’t fuck with me” vibe that is apparent from his disheveled appearance as well as his stoic nature. It only takes about 15 minutes before Aatami meets the Nazis he will ultimately decimate, and that’s really the only setup that you need before things take a turn for the insane.
Part and parcel with stylized and violent action films like this is the suspension of disbelief. It should be said that Aatami is one tough nut to crack, and as such viewers seeking staunch realism may find this errs more towards the exaggerated rather than the conservative side of believability. None of this really distracts from the film’s enjoyment, unless of course that is important to you as the viewer. As mentioned previously, there is a comic-book style and tone to some of the filmmaking so it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise when things happen that seemingly defy the realm of what is possible. One of the reasons it’s easy to not get hung up on this is due to how well-paced the film is. Writer/Director JALMARI HELANDER is deftly aware of this and keeps the 91-minute film going full throttle with minimal slowdown once things get going at the start of the 2nd act. Some of this is managed with chapter-based title cards that delineate different times in the story, thus instructing the audience that what we are seeing in each chapter is separate and connected to what we saw in prior ones. Overall, SISU is the kind of comfort food action film that you can pop on and get lost in for an hour and a half unless, of course, you’re a Nazi sympathizer.
LAST RITES
SISU is a roaringly fun and audaciously violent action film that is simple in narrative but complex in it’s delivery. With a very focused and relentless pace, SISU works just as well as a singular story as it would should it spawn a franchise full of sequels. A high-recommend if you like your action crunchy, your violence bloody, and your adrenaline high!
THE GORY DETAILS
Directed By
Written By
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Where can you watch it?
SISU will be released exclusively in theaters nationwide on April 28, 2023! Find local showtimes HERE!
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