🎬 Movie Review: SISU 2 (2024)
“You can’t kill what’s already survived hell.”
SISU 2 (2024) picks up right where the cult-favorite Finnish action-thriller left off—only this time, the stakes are higher, the explosions louder, and the body count even more gloriously absurd. Directed once again by Jalmari Helander, this sequel knows exactly what it is: a hyper-violent, ultra-stylized revenge rampage… and it delivers every bullet with purpose.
Jorma Tommila returns as Aatami Korpi, the near-mythical Finnish war veteran with a shovel in one hand and vengeance in the other. After surviving Nazi gold thieves in the first film, Aatami now finds himself pulled into a brutal conflict in post-war Eastern Europe, where Soviet forces have begun plundering villages—and leaving no survivors. Unfortunately for them, they picked the wrong man to mess with.
This time around, we get more backstory. Flashbacks hint at Aatami’s time in a Siberian prison camp and why he’s become a near-supernatural symbol of resistance. But the plot wisely remains minimal—dialogue is sparse, action is everything. The pacing is relentless, with a series of increasingly brutal set pieces: minefield ambushes, underwater knife fights, and a tank chase across a frozen lake you have to see to believe.
The cinematography is just as striking as the first film—dust, snow, blood, and fire blend into a stunning palette of chaos. The score, composed by Juri Seppä and Tuomas Wäinölä, builds the tension with pulsing percussion and warlike chants, turning each action sequence into a visual symphony of survival.
Tommila’s performance is again near-silent but fiercely commanding. Aatami says maybe five words total, but his eyes say everything. The supporting cast includes a brutal Soviet colonel played by Mads Mikkelsen, who makes a deliciously hateable villain that matches Aatami’s ruthlessness in a cat-and-mouse game of survival.
Final Verdict: ★★★★½☆ (4.5/5)
SISU 2 is a blood-soaked, no-holds-barred action epic that doubles down on everything fans loved about the original—and then some. It’s ridiculous, yes, but it knows it. And it’s awesome. If you liked John Wick, Rambo, or Mad Max, this Finnish fury-fueled sequel is a must-watch.
