Sisu: Road to Revenge Is Exactly What You Want In A Nazi Revenge Thriller

A period epic with a lead character hell bent on slaughtering every Nazi in his path? Sounds like a movie worth watching. That’s Sisu: Road to Revenge, and it is one hell of a good time. This movie is the second in a franchise that does the one thing it does well, and further still, this new installment proves that it excels at bringing that concept to new heights with each output. Road to Revenge is non-stop action fueled by revenge and redemption, led by a hero who finds an insatiable will to survive in the face of unbeatable odds — and it’s a story that we can’t help but be completely immersed in.

Sisu: Road to Revenge meets back up with our main character Aatami Korpi in 1946. Aatami decides to dismantle the home of his late family, who were brutally murdered, and reassemble it somewhere safe in their honor. But when the Red Army discovers that he has made his way to their land, they decide to destroy him once and for all.

Needless to say, Jorma Tommila’s performance is the film’s anchor, and in the first installment, he didn’t have to vie for our attention. There was literally no competition — he is the Sisu film series. The entire concept works on the back of his fierce, determined, and unrelenting performance that could’ve only come from him.

But in Road to Revenge, there’s another excellent performance on display too: Stephen Lang as the villainous Igor Dragonov, the Soviet officer responsible for murdering Aatami’s family. It’s great to have someone for Tommila to go toe to toe with, because it’s a major asset to his performance; he needs the anger and frustration to be dialed up to go scorched earth. It’s also an asset to Lang’s excellent turn as the film’s central villain, who feels more cruel and more calculated with every close call with Aatami. Lang is just as good as Tommilla — and frankly, that’s the only way to make this face-off work for both the strength of the action and the emotional payoff the film needs to be wholly successful.

This movie is truly action-packed, potentially even more so than the first one. And it ups the ante in so many fun ways, especially when it comes to the KOs. There are so many inventive and punchline-driven murders in this film that it's nearly impossible to pick a favorite; by the sheer variety of murders, it’s clear this is a film that knows what it does well. After the first film, the audience is here to see Nazis get slaughtered in creative ways and Road to Revenge is bringing that in spades.

It’s also bringing us something a little different from the first one: a bit of a road dog, Mad Max narrative. There’s quite a bit of this movie that takes place on the road, with cars chasing one another and guns blazing. It’s such a fun addition to the already high-energy flair this story has had from the beginning, and it works just as well here as it does in the George Miller original. It serves the same purpose: to give the audience that thrilling feeling you want in an action-adventure thriller, and really kick the whole thing up a notch.

But in a film filled with high-octane revenge thrills, Road to Revenge’s greatest strength might be its emotionality. After all, the emotional core of the film — Aatami’s plan to bring his decimated family home to a new place to rebuild in peace — is what makes putting him through another blood-soaked journey worth it. Without it, the Sisu franchise wouldn’t be a franchise, it would be a cruel act of god for him to essentially relive the trials he just faced. But by giving him an emotionally weighted goal so relatable, the audience needs him to succeed, making the film so much more effective.

In fact, the film’s stirring, heartfelt ending serves to bolster the narrative’s overall emotional weight. When Aatami finally builds his new home, he’s approached by the men who live nearby. Because of all he’s been through, he’s ready to defend it with his life and theirs — until one of the men asks if he needs any help building. That line alone melts away all the tension in his body. And in turn, the guard we put up when we decided we’re riding for Aatami melts away too. It’s a beautiful moment, to watch him finally feel safe again and find a new family in honor of those he lost.

With that moment in mind, it feels clear that this film — and the greater Sisu franchise as it stands right now — truly understands what it means to find Sisu at a time of need, but also to be able to shed it and find your faith in the world around you again after turmoil. That is exactly what Aatami does each time, and it’s something we could learn from the guy. It takes true strength to be able to fight your battles, but even more courage to put down your sword (or in this case, your fists). Sisu: Road to Revenge does both with grace, for 90 high-octane minutes. What more could you want in a hero’s journey?

Sisu: Road to Revenge is playing in theaters now.