John Wick at war? Action film from the same studio as the Keanu Reeves franchise has a reference to Rambo and Inglourious Basterds – Film News

Sisu is a brutal Finnish action film set in World War II.

If you’re a fan of the John Wick franchise starring Keanu Reeves, we have a perfect recommendation to stay on your radar: Sisu, a brutal action-packed Finnish film set in World War II, where protagonist Aatami Korpi, played by Jorma Tommila, crosses a true hellish journey facing the Nazis.

What is Sisu’s story?

During the last desperate days of World War II, lone prospector Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila) crosses paths with Nazis in a scorched earth retreat in northern Finland. When the Nazis steal their gold, they quickly discover that they haven’t just gotten involved with an ordinary, harmless person.

Although there is no direct translation for the Finnish word “sisu”, this legendary former commander will embody its meaning: a form of unimaginable courage and determination in the face of overwhelming odds. And no matter what the Nazis do to him, the one man death squad will do anything to get his gold back – even if it means killing every Nazi in their path.

The film received a very positive reception at the Toronto Film Festival and also at the Sitges Festival, especially for the intense action scenes and its story. With that, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions acquired worldwide distribution rights and partnered with Lionsgate (responsible for John Wick) to release the film in North America. Sisu premiered in Finland in January 2023 and in the US in April.

Described as a mix of Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds and Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo, the film also drew comparisons to Keanu Reeves’ John Wick franchise – not coincidentally, Lionsgate also rushed to secure its rights – because of the brutal action scenes. and the protagonist facing enemies alone.

In an interview with Filmstarts, director Jalmari Helander commented on the comparisons. “I think it just happened quite naturally. I loved Rambo: The Programmed to Kill the first time I saw it as a kid. And ever since then I’ve wanted to do action movies. And of course Western references can’t be avoided when you have one. main character riding through an open landscape. This film combines so many things that I personally like – just this kind of silent cinema where not much is said, where things are shown instead of explained”, explained the references in Sisu.

The film holds a 94% critics’ approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus that “Narratively lean and deliriously bloody, Sisu is an inspired pastiche that gives action aficionados bloody satisfaction.” Even with all this acclaim of the production, unfortunately it still has no forecast to arrive in Brazil.