FANTASTIC FEST 2025 REVIEW! Writer-director Jalmari Helander brings explosive fury in Sisu: Road to Revenge, the sequel to his dynamic 2022 historical action thriller Sisu. This chapter sees Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila) crossing the newly drawn Soviet border in 1946 to dismantle his family home and bring it back to rebuild on Finnish soil. This is the same home where his family was murdered by Red Army commander Igor Draganov (Stephen Lang).
Upon losing his family, vengeful Aatami became a legendary “one-man death squad” commando nicknamed Koshchei (“the immortal”). After the war, when he was mining for gold in Lapland, a band of retreating nazi’s tried to steal from him and paid for that aggression with their lives.
In Sisu: Road to Revenge, the Red Army becomes aware of Aatami’s forbidden border crossing, and they free Draganov (who has been imprisoned for war crimes) for the express purpose of killing Aatami and putting an end to his un-killable legend myth.
On the road back to Finland, Aatami, his faithful dog, and the lumber from the house begin the 120km trek on rugged roads to get back across the border. Dragonov pursues with all manner of hardware and troops, and a ferocious running road battle ensues that Mad Max would hesitate to engage in.
We are told at the beginning that the Finnish concept of “sisu” has to do with a soul so tenacious that they keep pushing as hard as they are able, even when all hope is lost. Wikipedia expands on this: “… extraordinary determination in the face of extreme adversity, and courage that is presented typically in situations where success is unlikely … deciding on a course of action, and then adhering to it even if repeated failures ensue.” The Finns specifically embrace this ethos with gusto. Aatami embodies it, refusing to give in and die even when that outcome is seemingly inevitable.
“…Aatami crosses the Soviet border to dismantle his family home and bring it back to Finland…”
As two staunch, longtime enemies, Tommila and Lang are instantly iconic in their roles. Lang is best known as Colonel Quaritch in Avatar, but he has become the go-to actor for any warlike character who is strong, dispassionate, and intractable. He wears it effortlessly and delivers the goods. Tommila gives us Aatami in the depths of rage, sadness, fear, and, in fact, sisu, with only a few words of dialogue. It’s all on his face, and is a performance for the ages.
United States politics is in a moment of confusion and existential concern over the state of our democracy. Sisu: Road to Revenge is a cathartic balm for those fears. Helander reaffirms that fascists are indeed the bad guys, and Aatami dispatches hordes of them in an escalating series of innovative and increasingly violent set pieces. There are moments of despair so deep the viewer prays for Aatami to know the sweet release of death. That anxiety is exponential with his dog in the passenger seat. Kudos also go out to cinematographer Mika Orasmaa for capturing beautiful shots of this delirious violence. The soundtrack also kicks, blending metal and flesh shredding into a glorious synesthesia where the action becomes the music. Helander exceeds even Tarantino for gleeful, unrepentant mayhem.
Before Sisu, Helander was best known for his quirky Christmas horror film Rare Exports (which also stars Jorma Tommila). He managed to make Christmas both horrific and funny, and answered a longstanding question about Santa Claus. We have been so delighted with repeated viewings of the film that it is now on our annual holiday vacation playlist.
Novelist Cormac McCarthy explored the idea that violence can be regenerative and redemptive. In Sisu: Road to Revenge, Helander has painted that concept on the movie screen 20 feet tall, near death, and dripping with gore. By becoming inhumane, Aatami seeks to recover his humanity. Never before will you have felt so cleansed by such brutality.
Sisu: Road to Revenge screened at the 2025 Fantastic Fest.
"…never before will you have felt so cleansed by such brutality."
