After watching 2022’s Sisu, I was left thinking that I’d watched a pretty near-perfect action film. Short, stylistic, brutal, fun, imaginative—it was everything classic ’80s and ’90s genre films accomplished, usually in 90 minutes as well. So I was intrigued and a bit nervous about the sequel, wondering if they could rediscover the magic of the first film. Well, I give you Sisu: Road to Revenge, an absolute thrill ride that builds on the original, ramps things up, and is not simply a cut-and-paste money grab to throw out there to be digested by the mass of action fans.
The story picks up at the end of World War II, when our tired and beaten hero, Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila), has returned home. However, it’s not the home he remembers, and as silence, memories, and grief haunt his every step, he decides to move on. In perfect Aatami decision-making and style, he takes his house apart, one wooden plank at a time, loads it in his truck, and heads out to find a new home. He will rebuild and start over again. As with everything in his life, though, nothing is really that simple.
His exploits have led those in the Russian army to unleash what they think is the only real weapon to stop him, that being Igor Draganov (Stephen Lang), the man who killed Aatami’s wife and son. He is assigned to bring him down by whatever means necessary, and that is really the essence of this story. Man in truck headed for new home, bad man trying to hunt him down and kill him, and it’s absolutely perfect. For a movie like this, there doesn’t need to be anything more than that. Keeping it simple—from the story to the characters to the runtime—are just some of the things that make Sisu: Road to Revenge a success.
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There is no doubt that writer-director Jalmari Helander has tapped into something extraordinary here. His understanding of action and how to use choreography to enhance it to another level is astounding. The film is broken into chapters, and each one has its own signature moment—from a great action sequence to an outlandish kill scene—that melds together perfectly.
Stephen Lang is perfect as the quintessential bad guy, chewing up the dialogue and stealing many scenes with his commanding presence and delivery. He is an excellent counter to the silent but incredibly smart and efficient Aatami, whose legendary immortal status will only increase after his escapades.
With a wonderful sense of Mad Max hanging in the air, the film utilizes motorcycles, planes, makeshift tanks, and trains to navigate the chaos across its chapters, all leading to the showdown at the end. The final chapter, with the train sequence, is something: from Aatami’s escape, the silent prowl through the cars of sleeping soldiers, the inevitable “all hell breaking loose,” and the meeting and standoff with Draganov. At a runtime of just under ninety minutes, there are few opportunities for the audience to catch their breath. Helander takes us on a ride through the bodies in organized chaos that can only be admired.
There is something to be said for simplicity. While the cinematography, direction, and execution of many action scenes are anything but simple, they are woven together in a way that seems seamless, with a pacing so well done that the audience can just enjoy the ride. Sisu: Road to Revenge is the kind of action movie we need to see more of, and the fact that it’s a sequel is even more astounding. Trying to top these first two Sisu films seems like a tall order, but if there is to be a third film, I can’t wait to see what this team does with it.
Sisu: Road to Revenge will release in U.S. theaters on November 21 via Screen Gems.
