One of the best action movies currently in theaters is Sisu: Road to Revenge. While the film has only made a modest mark at the box office, critics have rallied behind it, with many comparing its relentless momentum to Mad Max: Fury Road. The strong reception is already paying off for director Jalmari Helander, who is deep into pre-production on his upcoming Rambo prequel. We spoke with Helander while he was in Thailand prepping the film.
We also recently talked to Stephen Lang, who plays the Russian villain Dragonov — the man revealed to be responsible for murdering Aatami’s (Jorma Tommila) family. Helander laughed when recalling Lang’s reaction to joining the film:
“Actually, when I talked for him for the first time, he said that when he first saw Sisu, he thought that someone has stolen his role,” he laughed.
Originally, Helander imagined a younger antagonist. But that changed instantly:
“When the idea of Stephen Lang came, I immediately knew that it’s really, really a good idea, because I think it’s cool to see two old dudes having a fight.”
Helander also discussed his choice to keep Sisu 2 at a tight 85 minutes — something critics have praised for its efficiency and intensity:
“You have a certain amount of money, if you use it and make the shortest thing that you can do, which still is a feature film. It basically means you have more money to spend on every minute. Like, rather than doing a three hour film. You would need so much more money to do it.
I think 90 minutes is a perfect length for a movie, and my stories are pretty straightforward. It’s not too complicated because I prefer simple things, and most of the time, the simpler the idea for an action film, the better. So I don’t know. That’s how I think about it.”
While he remained tight-lipped about the Rambo prequel, Helander hinted at how his perspective will shape it:
“Well I haven’t shot the film yet, so it’s still a work in progress, but I’m sure that Christopher Nolan would do a different kind of Rambo movie than what I’m making,” he said with a laugh.
A lean, brutal, tightly crafted action sequel — and one that’s clearly just the start of a big moment for Helander.