Featured Image Credit: Lionsgate
Topics: Film and TV, World War 2
Bec Oakes
A Finnish film that has been described as a cross between John Wick and Rambo has proven to be all guts, all glory after receiving rave reviews.
Sisu follows a Finnish gold miner as he's pitted against a Nazi death squad during World War II.
When a group of Nazi soldiers decide to steal Aatami Korpi's bounty — a character that is said to be inspired by both Rambo and Finnish sniper Simo Häyhä — they quickly discover that they messed with the wrong man as the battle-hardened former commando embarks on a bloody quest to retrieve his gold.
The result is a blood-soaked thriller packed with enough violence to make even Tarantino wince.
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Warning: it's certainly not one for the faint-hearted!
The writer and director behind all this brutal violence is Finnish screenwriter Jalmari Helender, who is known for his work on films such as Rare Exports and Big Game.
He’s now returned to his native Finnish language for a new addition to the canon of war movies.
Since its release, the film has received rave reviews and an impressive score of 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film also swept up at Catalonia's Sitges International Film Festival, winning Best Film, Best Music, Best Cinematography, and Best Actor for Jorma Tommila.
Fans of the film have taken to Twitter - or X, if you're that way inclined - to praise the Finnish film, with one writing: “Just finished Sisu. This film felt like an old school spaghetti western but with some Tarantino style of over the top violence.”
They added: “Was surprised by this one. No filler, all killer (literally)”
Another said: "OMG Sisu is so so good! Nazi blood everywhere! We’re currently watching it for the second time. 'Would recommend' is an understatement."
Elsewhere, Film School Rejects called the offering 'glorious carnage', comparing it to Rambo and saying it's "the most fun you can have watching Nazis get absolutely destroyed."
Luckily for fans of Helender's war film, there may be a sequel on the way.
Following its great success — the film grossed an unexpectedly high $7.3 million (£5.7 million) in the US and Canada combined — Helander hinted that he would consider making a follow-up, although this has not been confirmed.
Sisu is available to stream and rent now on Amazon Prime, YouTube and Apple TV - but perhaps wait until you've finished your dinner before pressing play on this brutally gory flick.