When Sisu: Road to Revenge dropped in November 2025, many fans expected to see the same explosive action sequences its 2022 prequel thrived on. While the explosions are still a huge part of the mix, it’s clear there’s something different at play from the moment the screen lights up. The film’s director, Jalmari Helander, rolled his sleeves up and doubled down on the chaos to give the story more depth. In essence, viewers this time get to see both how Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila) fights and also why. The action war film itself is set in Finland, sometime after World War II, while they’re still under the oppressive thumb of the Soviet Union. The main character is saddled with a new enemy: the Red Army butcher Igor Draganov (Stephen Lang). But rather than diving headfirst into the kicks, punches and explosions, the film spends ample time showing the aftermath of survival, grief, and their younger sister, loss.
The writers keep things tight, ensuring that Aatami himself remains at the center of it all. He’s a product of war, no doubt, punching Nazis and dodging the occasional bullet, but the source of his strength is equally explored. By stripping the story down to its essentials, something rare was achieved: a sequel that outperformed the original, judging by its impressive 95% Rotten Tomatoes score.
How ‘Sisu: Road to Revenge’ Updates the One-Man-Army Arc
As mentioned earlier, the writers wanted to spotlight a different side of the action hero, especially leaning into the one-man-army arc, following in the footsteps of fan favorites like Rambo and John Wick. But here’s the thing, Aatami is different. His action scenes are just as exciting as the ones in the movies above, but they’re not as fast-paced and demi-godlike. For the most part, the movie’s creators wanted to make things feel more personal by making each fight a way to tell us something about who Aatami is, rather than how strong he is.
There’s this scene where he’s pulling pieces of his old house from the ocean, and best believe there’s nothing flashy about it, especially when you place it side by side with moments like the weapons basement reveal in the first John Wick movie. We see Keanu Reeves‘ John Wick smashing concrete with a sledgehammer in an epic way that could only mean “oh dang.” The latter scene is quieter; it’s slow and emotionally charged. It’s almost as if he is literally pulling his old life back together, and that simple picture tells you more about the main character than most action sequels do in a whole hour.
But make no mistake, Sisu: Road to Revenge brings the spectacle too, case in point, there’s a scene with a flying tank. Sure, it sounds silly, but the movie grounds the moment by focusing on Aatami’s facial expressions in the madness. The look on his face tells you that he’s not doing it because he feels invisible; he’s fighting with everything he’s got for the memory of his family. Overall, this sequel is quite different from other movies in its genre, paying tribute to the classics while using modern stunt work and stronger emotional displays from the main character to create something new. That mix is a big reason why the film is rated so highly.
RELATED: This Visceral Revenge Thriller Is More Savage Than You Remember
How Aatami’s Pain and Silence Create a New Kind of Action Hero
Staying true to the leading action powerhouses before him, Aatami doesn’t talk much. In fact, the movie doesn’t need him to. There are no drawn-out monologues to explain his pain or overdramatic exposition, just silence. It’s in this aspect that a whole other kind of action hero is born. This is perfectly captured in the scene where he finds a broken toy in his old home. He pauses long enough for viewers to see the sadness on his face, and that pause tells you more about his sadness than any long speech ever could. Another fine example of how the movie uses action rather than words is the train scene with Igor Draganov. Here, the latter tortures Aatami and brags about murdering his family. Cue the camera as it focuses on Aatami’s eyes, where his pain and anger are clear for all to see. There’s this visible switch, and the exact moment he decides to fight back is clear for all to see. When he does, you get the feeling that every blow lands harder because it’s coming from the place he stores all his sadness and anger.
But if there’s one thing major about Aatami that makes him different from the typical action hero, it’s the fact that he’s not just fighting to win. Practically all his fight sequences tell you he doesn’t really care about coming out on top. He wants to find some semblance of peace, and ironically, fighting seems to be the only way he’s going to get that. When he finally goes back home and starts building, it’s a powerful moment because the entire movie shows you what that place means to him. What’s even more impressive in its simplicity is the fact that other men from the village pitch in to help him. For a man who’s been alone the whole movie, that help is everything. It’s a well-deserved happy ending.
Ultimately, that focus on emotion is why most people agree that this sequel has real depth. Sure, the action, including the cool stunts and Aatami’s crazy inventions, is cool, but that’s not what you’ll remember about the movie. You’ll remember it because you cared about the character.
So, if you like action movies with silent heroes who do more than they talk, this movie is for you. Go stream it on Prime Video.
