Sisu

A bloody, viseral trip through wartorn WW2 Finland! This movie demonstrates again why original concepts still exist and allow for amateur directors to show off some incredible style. This review will be much shorter as a result of the film not having as much to talk about. It's just good.

PLOT: Simple and sweet.

The plot for this movie is very simple: a gold miner in WW2 hits the jackpot, but has his gold stolen by Nazis. The rest of the film is pure revenge porn for a solid hour. It's sweet, simple, and to the point. Much of the story runs smoothly with few interruptions minus one hiccup with a hanging near the end, which really disrupts the third act. Otherwise, this movie's plot runs smoothly.

CHARACTERS: Simple again.

There aren't many characters, so we'll address them quickly. Jorma Tommila sells the stoic almost insane nature of the main character while the Nazi actors are aptly disgusting and easy to hate and the actors all deliver stellar performances with decent enough dialogue. Again, not an easy movie to hate.

SHOTS: Stellar shots with great action!

Where this movie shines is in its simplistic shots and well-done cinematography that sells the action as well as the quiet scenes. This movie has some stellar cinematography and well-placed action scenes with great choreography that never once ceases to make you say "What the hell are they doing?"

SOUND: Simple but understated.

This can be a point of contention for me as usually the music is always just fine to me. It's only noticeable if it enhances the experience or ruins it for me. The Batman (2022) is a great example of stellar use of music. This music does use its music well, but I rarely found it standing out. So, overall, not a overly stellar use of music, but a good one nonetheless.

WRITING: The best part of this whole thing.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE when main characters are simple and quiet. This protagonist has one line throughout the movie and it's a perfect payoff to the entire movie. This is screenwriting at its best: only using dialogue when it's needed rather than just to fill the void. It's well-done!

CONS: Too short.

I really wanted more movie by the end of this, to be frank. However, a legitimate concern would be that the villains were fleshed out a little more, maybe an extra scene or two. But, to be frank, making Nazis sympathetic does go against the point of the movie and I personally was enthralled to see some of the assholes in this movie die.

VERDICT: RIP AND TEAR!

Sisu delivers a simple protagonist in a simple plot with simple villains, all enhanced by stellar elements like shots, music, and writing. These small things build up into something truly demented, twisted, and violent. Watch this if you enjoy John Wick or any of these recent gratutious films in the same vein. It'll make you want to get out of your chair and start huntin' Nazis. 100 scalps, y'all!

SCORE: 9/10