Back in 2022, Jalmari Helander surprised global audiences with Sisu, a lean, brutal, and darkly humorous action tale about a lone man taking on an entire Nazi battalion. That film felt like a complete story, but also like the beginning of a legend. Now, with Sisu: Road to Revenge, Helander returns to the myth of Aatami Korpi — and proves that this silent warrior’s saga is far from over.
The Silent Avenger Returns
Set in post–World War II Karelia, now under Soviet occupation, the film begins with Korpi (Jorma Tommila) coming back to his family’s land, determined to rebuild what was lost. But when the ruthless Red Army commander Igor Draganov (Stephen Lang) re-emerges, Korpi’s personal mission transforms into a bloody road odyssey. What starts as an act of remembrance quickly becomes a relentless chase across hostile terrain, one plank of wood — and one body — at a time.
A Stylistic Evolution
Helander doesn’t simply replicate the formula of the first film. Instead, he blows it wide open. The action now unfolds on the move, across an ever-changing landscape, punctuated by chapter titles like “Motor Mayhem” that set the tone for comic-book violence. Visually, the film leans into Mad Max–style mayhem, but retains a Finnish starkness: silence, snow, and sudden bursts of carnage.
A Mythic Hero
Jorma Tommila once again proves that silence can speak volumes. Korpi barely utters a word, yet his presence radiates trauma, resilience, and defiance. He is less a man than a living myth, shaped by history and scarred by violence. Opposite him, Stephen Lang’s villainous commander is all swagger and venom, a perfect foil that forces Korpi’s stoicism into sharp relief. Their clash is less about words than about sheer willpower and survival.
Balancing Gore and Grotesque Humor
What sets Road to Revenge apart is its tonal tightrope walk. It is simultaneously grotesque and absurd, shocking and funny. Audiences laugh at the outrageousness of a kill, only to be jolted back into horror moments later. Helander understands the exploitation traditions he’s riffing on, yet his craftsmanship elevates the film into a pulpy, almost folkloric epic.
Critical Response
Early reviews have been glowing. Brian Tallerico (RogerEbert.com) praised the film’s “bigger, crazier” energy and inventive set pieces, while Rotten Tomatoes critics compared Helander’s vision to George Miller’s Mad Max aesthetic transplanted into Nordic soil. Still, some argue the story is thin, functioning more as a string of action set pieces than as a fully developed drama.
Conclusion
Sisu: Road to Revenge doesn’t try to be subtle — it embraces chaos, blood, and spectacle with unapologetic bravado. Yet within its carnage lies a story about survival, grief, and the refusal to be erased by history. For some, it may be too loud and too outrageous; for others, it’s an exhilarating ride that cements Korpi as one of the most unforgettable action antiheroes of recent years.
But the real question is: will Helander dare to continue Korpi’s bloody odyssey, or has this road finally reached its end?
