Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- gritty
- serious
- darkly entertaining
- crime film marathon
- Nordic cinema night
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The plot follows professional criminals operating in Helsinki across the late 1960s and 1970s.
The story spans 1966 to 1979 and tracks professional criminals rather than a single isolated offense.
The central characters are explicitly portrayed as professional criminals and gang members.
Tomppa, Krisu, and their associates operate through criminal camaraderie and shifting relationships.
Films like Hellsinki, and why
Bad Boys
Finnish crime drama centered on professional criminals, loyalty, and changing underworld codes
Once Upon a Time in America
period gangster drama tracing criminal lives through a shifting social landscape
The Friends of Eddie Coyle
ensemble crime saga focused on thieves, camaraderie, and criminal subculture
Movie Details
- Director
- Aleksi Mäkelä
- Release Date
- 2009-01-09
- Runtime
- 136 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (51)
Cast
- Samuli Edelmann
- Peter Franzén
- Pihla Viitala
- Kari Hietalahti
- Juha Veijonen
- Jasper Pääkkönen
- Pekka Huotari
- Kristo Salminen
- Hiski Grönstrand
- Tommi Rantamäki
Common questions
- What is Hellsinki about?
- A Finnish period crime saga follows Helsinki thieves whose criminal brotherhood is tested by fifteen years of change.
- What is Hellsinki like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Hellsinki as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Hellsinki violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Hellsinki as moderate.
- Which films are like Hellsinki?
- Films with a similar feel include Bad Boys, Once Upon a Time in America, and The Friends of Eddie Coyle.
- How long is Hellsinki?
- Hellsinki runs 136 minutes.
