Jalmari Helander
The trailer for the Finnish film “Sisu” sets it up to be a “John Wick”-style action film in the middle of World War II.
In our latest report from the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, Faisal Al-Jadir reviews Venus, Sisu and Viking!
To the eyes of international audiences, Nordic countries are stereotypically relied upon to produce gruelling, depressing thrillers, movies in the vein of Sweden’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and TV shows in the vein of Denmark’s The Killing. One country that seems exempt from the current cultural fascination with “Nordic Noir” is Finlan. Whereas other (mostly Scandinavian) countries in Northern Europe are importing their grim and gripping thrillers worldwide, Finnish cinema seems to be playing to a different trend entirely from their neighbouring cousins.
Movies where strong and able children lead the narrative are too few. Kids need peers to look up to who aren’t millionaire pop stars or secretly older adults. Instead of that, this trailer features a kid with a bow and arrow.