I can not express how much I love the new action-thriller SISU from writer-director Jalmari Helander, so when I got the opportunity to talk with Helander about his incredible, bloody, and brutal film, I was over the moon! In fact, I had a bit of a “fangirl moment.”
SISU is set in 1944, “during the last desperate days of WWII, a solitary prospector (Jorma Tommila) crosses paths with Nazis on a scorched-earth retreat in northern Finland. When the Nazis steal his gold, they quickly discover that they have just tangled with no ordinary miner. While there is no direct translation for the Finnish word “sisu,” this legendary ex-commando will embody what sisu means: a white-knuckled form of courage and unimaginable determination in the face of overwhelming odds. And no matter what the Nazis throw at him, the one-person death squad will go to outrageous lengths to get his gold back – even if it means killing every last Nazi in his path.”
Here’s what Helander had to say.
The Fineland-born writer-director, Jalmari Helander, is an incredibly talented filmmaker, and I can’t wait to see what he does next. Be sure to check out his other films, Big Game starring Samuel L. Jackson, Rare Exports, a genre holiday favorite, and his short film Fakir.
You have to watch SISU! Luckily you don’t have to wait long. It opens in theaters on April 28, 2023. You can learn more about the film here.
