Sisu: Road To Revenge Fantastic Fest Review: A Wild Sequel That Cranks Up the Chaos

Sisu: Road to Revenge doubles down on action and mayhem.

It’s no wonder Jalmari Helander‘s ‘Sisu’ became a cult hit in 2023 – the indestructible protagonist, Aatami Korpi, was not the typical John Wick action hero we have seen in these pulpy, violent, one-man-army stories. It’s a pleasure to reveal that Aatami is back, and he’s out for bigger, bloodier revenge.

‘Sisu: Road to Revenge’ features Aatami (Jorma Tommila) returning to his homeland to deconstruct and relocate the house he once shared with his wife and children, who were murdered by a Soviet Red Army officer named Igor Draganov (Stephen Lang). Draganov gets word of Aatami’s return and makes it his mission to tie up loose ends.

Bigger, Bloodier, and More Absurd Action

The surprise sequel doubles down on the formula, but takes it up a few notches. Where the first film played its premise with a tad more seriousness, the follow-up embraces a streak of absurdity. It pushes the violence and set pieces into wild territory. Tanks doing flips, taking out airplanes with some creative maneuvering of lumber, and surviving the unsurvivable are key components of ‘Sisu: Road to Revenge.’

Yet underneath the heightened spectacle, the film never loses the rugged texture that made the first Sisu resonate. The violence is still visceral amongst beautiful landscapes, and the hero is still as indomitable as ever.

Tommila’s Silent Rage and Lang’s Villainy

Tommila’s performance is almost all physical, as once again Aatami is a man of few words. Tommila is able to convey a lot in just a look or grimace, and the lines on his face hold blood and dirt in a way that would make other action stars jealous. Lang is in familiar territory here, hamming it up as the heavy. The presence he gives to every villain performance is not absent here, and he makes for a worthwhile foe for Aatami.

Verdict

‘Sisu: Road to Revenge’ is a fun sequel that takes the grit of the first film. It cranks up the absurdism to take audiences on a wild ride. Fans of the original will not be disappointed.