The way Joe Rogan has often raved about Quentin Tarantino’s storytelling, so you’d probably assume his favorite war or revenge flick might be Inglourious Basterds or Django Unchained. But it would appear that sitting on the top of Rogan’s list of best revenge movies is John Wick, closely followed by a lesser-talked-about World War II-based film that delivers brutality, tension, and justice in equal measure.
While speaking to Big Jay Oakerson, Rogan raved with fans about a lesser known Finnish movie and gave a passionate shoutout to one of his all-time favorite revenge movies—Sisu.
Set during World War II, Sisu follows a former soldier-turned-gold miner who stumbles upon a group of Nazis while trying to transport his hard-earned score to town. The Nazis, as they often did, tried to steal his gold to their own horror.
This is a gore fest but not like Wrong Turn. It’s a lot more suave, yet grounded in its brutality. Rogan loved this simplicity of the plot and found himself compelled by the harrowing intensity of a World World II backdrop.
He also points out that there’s no English spoken in the film, which adds to its gritty charm.
“You can tell this guy does not want to do this, but he’s got to kill everybody”, Rogan said, describing the main character as a near-mythical warrior with a terrifying reputation and a body covered in scars.
As the story unfolds, the Nazis quickly realize they are the ones being hunted. “He kills everybody—spoiler alert. And it’s f**king great,” Rogan added with a laugh.
While Rogan might now say Sisu is his favorite revenge flick, let’s be honest—he’s not exactly the most consistent guy when it comes to picking favorites.
Not too long ago, he called that Matt Damon classic Saving Private Ryan the best war movie of all time. So yeah, his top picks tend to shift depending on the vibe… or maybe just what he watched last weekend.
Rogan trips on Saving Private Ryan’s opening scene
Rogan has often praised the intense realism of war films, and this Matt Damon-Tom Hanks classic holds a special place in his discussions.
Reflecting on the film’s harrowing depiction of the D-Day landings, Rogan remarked, “You remember the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan? That was the first scene of a war that made me think this was probably what it was like back then for those guys“.
Despite his reputation as a bit of an exaggerator, Rogan’s review is rather accurate here. The 1999 Oscar winner is said to have had more than a few inaccuracies but has been held in high regard for its infernal portrayal of the horrors of the Omaha Beach landing on D-Day.
The film is widely considered a landmark achievement in American cinema for its treatment of the spectacle of war, cautiously veering away from the glory in favor of a more empathic representation of the cost of human lives.
Rogan acknowledged that while the film’s portrayal was powerful, it likely represented only a fraction of the actual horrors experienced during the war.
