Sisu (2023)

 

"If John Wick Fought in World War II"

After its cinema release a little while ago SISU, a blood-drenched action-packed war movie from Finland, gets a digital release from Sony.

SISU isn't a person, by the way. From the off we are told (and again later on in case we didn't catch it) that 'sisu' is an untranslatable Finnish word that describes white-knuckle determination despite all hope being lost. Which is pretty much what the following 90 minutes delivers.

It's 1944 and the Nazis are under instruction to clear out of Finland. Aatami (Jorma Tommila) has turned his back on the war and ekes out an existence in the wilderness as a gold prospector. But that's not going to be for much longer because one day he strikes it rich. 

Unfortunately, having dug a large quantity of gold out of the ground and packed it in his saddlebags, he runs straight into a Nazi military convoy headed out of the country. The soldiers know they are losing the war, and may well face execution for their crimes. Aatami's gold just might provide a means of escape. All they have to do is take it from him, which proves to be rather more difficult that they could ever have anticipated.

SISU feels like a cross between JOHN WICK and RAMBO, but with a much older but no less resourceful and resilient central character. Like both of those action heroes, Aatami has a past, which the Nazis discover too late, and after many of their number have already been despatched by knife, machine gun, and even a few mines thrown through the air for good measure. It's all ridiculous but utterly entertaining stuff, with some gorgeous landscapes as a backdrop. If seeing Nazis being blown to pieces for the best part of 90 minutes is your thing (and if not why not) then SISU is just the ticket. Here's the trailer:

SISU is out on digital to buy or rent from Sony on Monday 10th July 2023