"Sisu" Goes for Gold - Movie Review

Sisu is a Goldmember origin story.

A poster showcasing sisu, featuring an image of a man with a beard. — *Sisu* (2023)

What happens when an ex-soldier whose legend precedes him has his livelihood threatened by Nazis? Sisu attempts to answer that question. Jorma Tommila stars as Aatami, an ex-soldier from Finland. Shortly after striking gold, Aatami is chased by a group of Nazis, attempting to steal his riches. Aatami proudly displays his skills as he slices, dices, and otherwise maims anyone who comes between him and his gold.

Gory, Visceral, Fun

Sisu is an incredibly violent movie. There is no denying that. Aatami is known as the immortal soldier. He has that reputation not because he can't die, but because he refuses to. After Bruno (Aksel Hennie) and his men begin testing him, they quickly learn it was a mistake. From throwing landmines to a brutal pickaxe lashing, Aatami uses every possible tool at his disposal to get this crew off of his back.

A man demonstrating sisu sitting on rocks in a river. — *Sisu* (2023)

The movie itself, like Aatami, moves quickly. First, Sisu sets its story up very quickly and we are off to the races in no time. Then as we get in the meat of the action, it is paced in a way that reminds me of Mad Max: Fury Road. The first half is a chase in one direction, while the second half is a chase in the other. No matter if he was cat or mouse, I never tired of watching our protagonist give those rotten men what they had coming.

Director Jalmari Helander injects a lot of style into the film and how it plays out. Viewers are treated to disgustingly glorious blood splatter of the highest caliber. Just when you think Aatami has been completely knocked down, like Chumbawumba, he gets up again. They quickly learn that they will never keep him down.

The Legend is Real

Once his immortality is accepted, we are left rooting for Aatami and all the tricks he has up his sleeve. After an hour and a half of tracking this man, I refuse to believe he is an actor. Jorma Tommila is a made up name, trying to throw the public off scent about the very dangerous man we have walking amongst us.