Sisu (15)

Jalmari Helander’s delirious, blood-splattered WWII grindhouse throwback.

Aatami (Jorma Tommila) is a Finnish loner mining for gold out in the middle of a barren-wasteland during the last desperate days of the second world war. Ultimately striking upon a bountiful treasure, he sets off on his horse with his fluffy dog in tow, determined to reap the rewards of his find. When the Nazis steal his gold, they quickly discover that they have just tangled with no ordinary miner.

The result is a bloodbath of lunatic extremeness, as expertly staged as its recurring sights of Nazis meeting their deserved demise is satisfying. Indebted to Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns (most notably, via chapter cards featuring Ennio Morricone-ish punctuation) there’s also clear influence from the likes of John Wick and maybe a bit of Mad Max: Fury Road thrown in for maniacal good measure.

Cult films aren’t deliberately made. They’re spontaneously created by word-of-mouth, their outrageousness, absurdity and all-around badassery spread far and wide by fans who’ve discovered their awesomeness. Destined to assume a place in the pantheon of modern underground favourites, Sisu more than lives up to the hype.