Lights in the Dusk

2006 1h 18m FI

👍

6.8

SOLID

🍅

68%

FRESH

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

6.8

IMDB

★6.8TMDB · 173🍅68%Rotten Tomatoes●57Metacritic★6.8IMDB · 8,154

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Outcast by his co-workers and living alone, Koistinen is a security guard who works the night shift in a luxury shopping mall in Helsinki. But when icy blonde Mirja approaches him, the lonely Koistinen falls helplessly for her, unaware she is manipulating him for her criminal boyfriend.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Cast

Janne Hyytiäinen
Koistinen
Maria Järvenhelmi
Mirja
Maria Heiskanen
Aila
Ilkka Koivula
Lindholm
Sergei Doudko
Russian
Andrei Gennadiev
Russian
Artūras Pozdniakovas
Russian
Matti Onnismaa
Shift Boss

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Aki Kaurismäki
Writers: Aki Kaurismäki
Languages: Finnish, Russian
Countries: Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 78-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.4M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 20 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Finnish, Russian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 5 countries: Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Aki Kaurismäki, shot by Timo Salminen. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Melrose. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Aki Kaurismäki shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Aki Kaurismäki directs. Timo Salminen behind the camera. Melrose scores. Aki Kaurismäki cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden. Dialogue in Finnish, Russian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 78-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Shot for just $1.4M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
3Released 20 years ago.
4Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Finnish, Russian.
5International production across 5 countries: Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden.
6Directed by Aki Kaurismäki, shot by Timo Salminen. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Melrose. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor Aki Kaurismäki shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Janne Hyytiäinen and Maria Järvenhelmi and Maria Heiskanen carry the top of the cast.
10IMDB entry: tt0458242 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 10 themes, including "prison", "helsinki, finland", "friendship", "love of one's life".