6 Finnish Movies You Need To Watch

by Anna Nilsen

Finland has a rich cinematic history, although it is not as widely talked about on the international scene as many other nations. To fix that and get more people into Finnish film culture, here are just a few of the top movies that the country has produced.

Mother of Mine

Often ranked among the best Finnish films of the 21st century so far, Mother of Mine offers a unique perspective on the Second World War as it looks at the experience of a young child who is sent away from his family home to live in Sweden to avoid the worst of the fighting. Strong performances, an evocative score and attractive cinematography help to elevate this above average war movie status, while the surprisingly vibrant color palette helps to further differentiate it and it has won audience acclaim as well as critical praise.

Drifting Clouds

Blending elements of comedy with moments of drama, Drifting Clouds is an emotional rollercoaster of a film that follows an unemployed couple as they try to get their lives back on track. Made in the mid-1990s, it represents the highs and lows of modern living and even includes a trip to a land-based casino, which may seem surprising to modern audiences who are used to a casino being available online. This shows how changing times and technologies can alter perceptions of film plots.

Lapland Odyssey

This oddball comedy caper shows that Finnish filmmakers are more than happy to showcase a sense of humor in their work, even if the results are a little quirkier than mainstream audiences might expect. The movie follows a group of 20-somethings in a quest to try and procure a set top box in spite of being surrounded by the wilderness of Finland’s frozen north. Car chases, naked snow sprinting, police encounters and much more madness ensues. 

Frozen Land

If Lapland Odyssey is upbeat and easy to watch, Frozen Land is the polar opposite; a film which explores the domino effect of malicious acts that is kick-started after a teacher loses his job and lets his bad mood get the better of him. While it may sound like a bleak drama, the movie is actually quite comic and speaks to the darkly humorous sensibilities that are developed in a place where the sun does not rise for weeks on end during the winter months. Well liked by critics when it was released in 2006, Frozen Land still packs a punch.

Steam of Life

One of Finland’s biggest contributions to the world is the sauna, and this documentary delves into what it is that makes it such a cultural phenomenon in its homeland. Like all good factual films, Steam of Life constructs its narrative carefully, explores its subject matter with deep affection and lets viewers in on some emotionally involving moments in the lives of the people it features.

Black Ice

An intricately written thriller with plenty of comic and farcical elements, Black Ice explored what happens when a wife gets to know the woman who her husband is having an affair with while hiding her own identity in the process. With a few lavish set pieces, some great costume design and a soundtrack that works well to elevate the many moments of tension, this is a contemporary example of what Finnish cinema has to offer the world today.

The Year of the Hare

Released in the late 1970s, The Year of the Hare is eerily prescient in its presentation of the kind of escapism that many people are still looking for in the hustle and bustle of the digital age. In it, a high flying businessman gives up his day job and ventures out into Lapland where he forms a friendship with a wild hare while nursing it back to health. It raises some interesting, enduring questions about the work-life balance and reaffirms the importance that the Finnish landscape plays in the nation’s identity and culture.