Entertainment

Harrowing WWII Movie Starring a Future Jesus Gets Overtaken at the Box Office by New ’Sisu’ Hit

Published

7 days ago

1 December 2025

Harrowing WWII Movie Starring a Future Jesus Gets Overtaken at the Box Office by New ’Sisu’ Hit

In less than a week of release, the buzzy new action movie Sisu: Road to Revenge is exceeding expectations at the domestic box office. The movie grossed just $1 million less in its opening weekend than the recent film Nuremberg, which is also set immediately after World War II. This was a major achievement, considering Sisu 2 is a Finnish-language sequel and Nuremberg is a more mainstream drama starring two Oscar winners — Russell Crowe and Rami Malek. Perhaps a better comparison, at least for the time being, would be the fellow international WWII movie Son of Saul, which made a splash a decade ago after it became the first Hungarian-language film to win the Academy Award for Best International Feature.

Son of Saul closed its theatrical run with $6.6 million globally, which Sisu 2 overtook on its fifth day of release. Directed by László Nemes, Son of Saul follows (quite literally) a “Sonderkommando” in the Auschwitz concentration camp during WW2 — these were essentially Jewish slaves, prisoners themselves who were forced to dispose of the dead until it was their turn to die. In Son of Saul, the lead character goes on a mission to give a young boy a proper burial — the only act of kindness he can do in a world without any hope. The film was notable for its long tracking shots that often framed the protagonist right in the center of the screen, chaining the audience to him as he went about his ghastly business.

Son of Saul is now sitting at a “certified fresh” 96% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus reads, “Grimly intense yet thoroughly rewarding, Son of Saul offers an unforgettable viewing experience — and establishes director László Nemes as a talent to watch.” The movie was led by Géza Röhrig, who has since been cast as Jesus in Terrence Malick‘s upcoming Biblical epic The Way of the Wind, which wrapped production six years ago, and has since been in an extended post-production stage typical of the filmmaker.

‘Sisu 2’ Has Earned Stellar Reviews

Incidentally, Sisu 2 is sitting at an identical RT score, even though it’s a more conventional genre film. Produced on a reported budget of $12 million and directed by Jalmari Helander, the film serves as the sequel to his original Sisu, which became a word-of-mouth hit in 2022. Nuremberg, on the other hand, has grossed $12 million at the global box office so far, mostly on the strength of positive audience reviews. It’s sitting at a — you guessed it — 96% audience score on RT.

You can watch Nuremberg and Sisu 2 in theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.