Netflix’s Sisu: Road to Revenge Proves the ‘John Wick’ Clone Era Is Just Getting Started

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The John Wick movies are famous for revitalizing Keanu Reeves’ career and bringing back hard-hitting action films with a stylish, modern look. After the first movie surprisingly became a hit, many sequels and related films followed, and more are planned. It also sparked a new wave of action movies that have remained surprisingly fresh and popular.

The action film Sisu: Road to Revenge gained popularity after its release, drawing comparisons to the John Wick series – and it’s actually a sequel to a similar movie. While it didn’t initially make a huge splash in theaters, it’s now found a large audience on a major streaming service. This success suggests a potential future for action movies, in a way that echoes the older practice of releasing films directly to home video.

Netflix’s Sisu: Road to Revenge is All Killer and No Filler

Scheduled for release in late 2025, the new film arrived three years after the original. Both movies were well-received by viewers and critics, but unfortunately, this didn’t translate into strong ticket sales. The first Sisu earned $14 million worldwide with a production cost of €6 million. The sequel, while costing $12.2 million to make, only brought in $9 million at the box office.

It’s somewhat surprising to see Stephen Lang in this film, considering he starred in the huge hit Avatar: Fire and Ash around the same time. Luckily, that hasn’t overshadowed this movie, and it’s now finding an audience thanks to streaming. Sisu 2 is being released through Sony’s “Pay-1” deal, which means it appears on Netflix first after playing in theaters and being available for rental. As soon as it arrived on Netflix, it quickly became the most popular action film and landed in the top 3 overall in the US.

One reason so many people are watching Sisu 2 is its fast pace. At only 89 minutes long, it delivers a focused, action-packed experience in just over an hour. This streamlined approach fits well with the style of the film and similar movies, which often succeed with concise stories and scripts.

These films usually don’t rely on much conversation and keep narration to a minimum, often using simple revenge stories to fuel their raw, realistic action. This stripped-down style is surprisingly relaxing, even with violent content, and makes them easy to watch casually. In contrast, many modern movies, like the recent Avatar film, can be excessively long and demand more focused attention.

Unlike many Hollywood films, Sisu 2 features a protagonist, Aatami Korpi (played by Jorma Tommila), who feels authentically European. Tommila brings a unique quality that a big-name American actor like Keanu Reeves wouldn’t be able to capture, making the movie a refreshing contrast to typical studio productions.

Despite its gritty and intense style, the movie has gained a surprising level of recognition, even surpassing some higher-profile films. It’s great to see it find a new audience on streaming, and it’s not alone – other similar action movies are experiencing the same thing. This recent success could actually point to a promising future for this popular type of action film.

Streaming is the Home for B-Class Action Movies Like Sisu

The positive reception to the second Sisu film on Netflix isn’t surprising when you look at recent trends. It arguably started in 2024 with Monkey Man, an action movie starring Dev Patel that was inspired by John Wick. While it did reasonably well in theaters, Monkey Man really gained popularity through streaming services like Peacock and HBO Max.

The 2025 sequel to Nobody earned $43 million despite costing $25 million to make, meaning it didn’t quite turn a profit. This, along with the disappointing box office performance of the John Wick spin-off Ballerina, led some to believe the franchise was losing steam. However, like Sisu 2 before it, the future of these films was secured through streaming. Nobody 2 ultimately found success on Netflix, becoming a major hit by March 2026.

As a big action fan, I wasn’t surprised to see From the World of John Wick: Ballerina perform much better on streaming than in cinemas. I heard it had a really tough time because of its high production costs – apparently, they almost had to reshoot the whole thing! It seems Netflix is building this whole collection of action movies, a lot of which feel like they’re carrying on the John Wick style. They’re including films that were originally meant for theaters alongside their own originals, and honestly, it feels like a cool nod to the action movies of the past.

This recent wave of action movies feels like a throwback to the low-budget, direct-to-video action films popular in the late 2000s and 2010s, which themselves were similar to simple action movies from the 1990s. Unlike big-budget blockbusters, these films appeal to an older audience without feeling overly polished. Because they’re made on relatively small budgets, they often do well on streaming services like Netflix, offering a different kind of entertainment than more mainstream, high-production-value action films.

John Wick Clones are Borderline Spinoffs in Their Own Right

Although many viewers are starting to feel saturated with action movies similar to John Wick, there’s still a strong demand for them, particularly with the rise of streaming services. Their relatively short length and straightforward plots make them easy to enjoy, and also encourage repeat viewings.

These movies generally understand their roots in classic, low-budget action films, and audiences are starting to recognize and enjoy that. This has led to successful franchises like Extraction, Sisu, and Nobody. While they may not surpass John Wick in popularity, they’re valuable additions to the genre, especially with fans eagerly awaiting a potential return to the John Wick universe.

Even though the character appeared to die in the fourth film, the John Wick series is continuing with new projects. These include the upcoming Ballerina movie and the Continental TV show, which hasn’t been well-received.

Fans can look forward to more content in the John Wick universe, including the show John Wick: Under the High Table. This series takes place after the events of the fourth movie and explores the power struggle created by John Wick’s apparent death. However, that death may not be permanent, as a fifth John Wick movie and a spin-off film are also in development. While the spin-off has just begun filming, the fifth movie and the Under the High Table show haven’t even started production yet.

It’s easy to see why films like Sisu: Road to Revenge are doing well – they’re satisfying action fans while they wait for the next John Wick movie. These films are particularly successful as streaming releases, even if they had a theatrical run first.

The John Wick movies have become the main attraction, with other action films feeling like side stories you can watch whenever you have time. This might not lead to immediate success for those films, but it proves there’s an audience for them, which is helpful for platforms like Netflix constantly looking for new content. It’s still unclear if this release strategy will work long-term or significantly increase profits, but it shows that audiences still enjoy these classic revenge stories and there’s life left in the genre.

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2026-03-28 00:09