Sisu
2022 · Directed by Jalmari Helander
Original language: Finnish
- action
- war
- thriller
The story
When an ex-soldier who discovers gold in the Lapland wilderness tries to take the loot into the city, German soldiers led by a brutal SS officer battle him.
What it’s like
Stark, sun-bleached Lapland landscapes dominate: wide snowfields and scorched, burned-out forest under hard northern light, with bright blood against white snow and a lot of grime, ash and frostbite. The camera stays close and kinetic during fights, then pulls back to show a lone figure crossing vast empty ground. The score swells with brassy, mythic pulses, and the violence is frequent, inventive and loud: gunfire, axes, savage close-quarters brutality, and gory injuries played for grim comedy rather than dread. Its vibe is gritty, feral and tongue-in-cheek, a pulpy revenge chase with a folkloric streak. Pacing is relentless, with few quiet breaks, and the emotional register stays rough and stoic. Its central figure is a battered, obstinate man who refuses to die, slowly reclaiming something like dignity through sheer endurance. Best for viewers who want an intense, bloody survival adventure with a dark sense of humour, not gentle or low-stakes viewing.
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