Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Exceedingly gory but well-crafted anti-Nazi revenge tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Sisu
What's the Story?
In SISU, Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila) is a solitary miner who discovers a large vein of gold. He cleans himself up, packs up camp, and starts riding his horse into town. Unfortunately, it's 1944 in Finland, and he comes across a platoon of Nazis. They quickly discover the true nature of his cargo and try to steal it. But Korpi easily dispatches five men and keeps on going. The Nazi leader (Aksel Hennie) decides to keep pursuing Korpi, even after he receives the warning that Korpi -- a former rogue soldier with more than 300 kills -- is no one to be trifled with.
Is It Any Good?
This exceedingly gory and wildly entertaining Finnish "one-man army" movie readily recalls other, similar genre entries, but it's superbly crafted in a stripped-down, smartly paced way. It's easy to think of John Wick, Rambo, Liam Neeson's Bryan Mills, and Bob Odenkirk's character in Nobody (as well as Brad Pitt's Nazi-killin' Lt. Aldo Raine in Inglourious Basterds) while watching Aatami Korpi do his thing in Sisu. (The opening crawl informs us that the title is a Finnish word that can't be directly translated but means something like "unstoppable courage.")
But Korpi quickly emerges as his own character. While he's as scant as a character can get -- he speaks maybe 11 words in the entire movie -- we still know precisely who he is through his deliberate actions. And we want to root for him. For example, the Nazi platoon has six female prisoners in the back of one of their trucks. When the time comes, Korpi doesn't just rescue them, he empowers them, enabling them to rescue themselves. Writer-director Jalmari Helander (of Rare Exports: A Christmas Story and Big Game) keeps inventing substantial challenges for his hero that require quick thinking -- and, at just 91 minutes, Sisu uses them to establish the perfect pace, quitting while it's ahead.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Sisu's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
What's appealing about "one-man army" movies like this? How does teamwork fit into a story like this, if at all?
How are women portrayed in this story? Do they have agency? Did you notice any stereotypes?
How is smoking depicted? Is it glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
Movie Details
- In theaters : April 28, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : July 11, 2023
- Cast : Jorma Tommila , Aksel Hennie , Mimosa Willamo
- Director : Jalmari Helander
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : History
- Run time : 91 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong bloody violence, gore and language
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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