Taglines: Vengeance is golden.
Sisu movie storyline. 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-man death squad will go to outrageous lengths to get his gold back – even if it means killing every last Nazi in his path. Lionsgate presents, in association with Stage 6 Films, a Subzero Film Entertainment production, in association with Good Chaos.
Sisu is a 2022 historical action thriller film written and directed by Jalmari Helander. Set in Finnish Lapland during World War II, the film follows a former legendary Finnish commando and gold prospector who attempts to secure his gold and defend himself from a German death squad led by a brutal SS officer. The film stars Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan, Mimosa Willamo and Onni Tommila.
Originally, Helander was supposed to work on the science fiction comedy Jerry and Ms. Universe as his next project after Big Game, but the COVID-19 pandemic changed Helander’s plan and he moved on to make Sisu. The film was shot in 2021 near the Nuorgam village in Utsjoki, Lapland with a budget of about €6 million ($6.5 million). According to Helander, the 1982 film First Blood and the real-life Finnish military sniper Simo Häyhä, who fought against the Red Army, served as inspirations for the film.
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions acquired the film’s worldwide distribution rights outside Nordic countries, and then decided to team with Lionsgate to release the film in North America. The film debuted at the Midnight Madness section of the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2022. The film premiered in Finland on January 27, 2023, and was released in the United States on April 28, 2023. It received positive reviews from critics.
Sisu grossed $7.3 million in the United States and Canada, and $5.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $13 million. In the United States and Canada, Sisu was released alongside Big George Foreman and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret., and was projected to gross around $4 million from 900 theaters in its opening weekend. It made $1.4 million on its first day, including $585,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $3.3 million, finishing eighth.
Sisu (2023)
Directed by: Jalmari Helander
Starring: Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan, Mimosa Willamo, Onni Tommila, Tatu Sinisalo, Wilhelm Enckell, Arttu Kapulainen, Ilkka Koivula, Max Ovaska, Pekka Huotari, Severi Saarinen
Screenplay by: Jalmari Helander
Production Design by: Otso Linnalaakso
Cinematography by: Kjell Lagerroos
Film Editing by: Juho Virolainen
Costume Design by: Anna Vilppunen
Music by: Juri Seppä, Tuomas Wäinölä
MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody violence, gore and language.
Distributed by: Nordisk Film (Nordic countries), Lionsgate Films (North America), Sony Pictures (International)
Release Date: September 9, 2022 (TIFF), January 27, 2023 (Finland), June 1, 2023 (United States)
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