1 / 8
MONEY
Did you know
Shot for just $4.2M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
Tom of Finland
2017 1h 56m FI
👍
6.6
SOLID
★6.6TMDB · 143
Drama
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
Touko Laaksonen, a decorated officer, returns home after a harrowing and heroic experience serving his country in World War II, but life in Finland during peacetime proves equally distressing. He finds peace-time Helsinki rampant with persecution of the homosexual and men around him even being pressured to marry women and have children. Touko finds refuge in his liberating art, specialising in homoerotic drawings of muscular men, free of inhibitions. His work – made famous by his signature ‘Tom of Finland’ – became the emblem of a generation of men and fanned the flames of a gay revolution.
“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”
Cast
Pekka Strang
Touko Laaksonen / Tom of Finland
Lauri Tilkanen
Veli
Jessica Grabowsky
Kaija
Taisto Oksanen
Alijoki
Seumas F. Sargent
Doug
Jakob Oftebro
Jack
Niklas Hogner
Kake
Chris Myland
Security Person
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Dome Karukoski
- Writers
- Aleksi Bardy
- Languages
- German, Finnish, English
- Countries
- Iceland, Finland, United States of America, Sweden, Denmark, Germany
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 🍿
2 / 8
MONEY
Did you know
Earned back only 43% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Released 9 years ago.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
Dialogue crosses 3 languages: German, Finnish, English.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
International production across 6 countries: Iceland, Finland, United States of America, Sweden, Denmark, Germany.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Dome Karukoski, shot by Lasse Frank Johannessen. 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 Hildur Guðnadóttir. 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 Harri Ylönen 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
Dome Karukoski directs. Lasse Frank Johannessen behind the camera. Hildur Guðnadóttir scores. Harri Ylönen cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in Iceland, Finland, United States of America, Sweden, Denmark, Germany. Dialogue in German, Finnish, English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Shot for just $4.2M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
- 2Earned back only 43% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
- 3Released 9 years ago.
- 4Dialogue crosses 3 languages: German, Finnish, English.
- 5International production across 6 countries: Iceland, Finland, United States of America, Sweden, Denmark, Germany.
- 6Directed by Dome Karukoski, shot by Lasse Frank Johannessen. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 7Original score by Hildur Guðnadóttir. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 8Editor Harri Ylönen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 9Pekka Strang and Lauri Tilkanen and Jessica Grabowsky carry the top of the cast.
- 10IMDB entry: tt5226984 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 11Classified under 8 themes, including "world war ii", "biography", "male homosexuality", "lgbt".
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Lasse Frank Johannessen
- Original score
- Hildur Guðnadóttir
- Editing
- Harri Ylönen
- Production design
- Christian Olander
- Costume design
- Anna Vilppunen
- Makeup / hair
- Johanna Eliason
- Sound
- Niklas Skarp
- Stunt coordinator
- Reijo Kontio
- Runtime
- 116 min · 1h 56m
- Aspect ratio (typical)
- 1.37:1 (Academy)
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $4,200,000
- Box office
- $1,792,414
- Return
- 43% of budget
- Original language
- FI
- Certification (US)
- 12
Also by
Dome Karukoski
Stills · wallpapers
Selected frames
Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Production companies
Who made it
Helsinki-filmi
FI
Fridthjof Film
DK
Neutrinos Productions
DE
Anagram
SE
Key crew
- Set DresserSiim Maaten
- ProducerMiia Haavisto
- ProducerAnnika Sucksdorff
- ProducerAleksi Bardy
- Steadicam OperatorAnts Martin Vahur
- Art DirectionRicardo Molina
- Art DirectionLotta Bergman
- Art DirectionAstrid Poeschke
- EditorHarri Ylönen
- Production DesignChristian Olander
- Costume DesignAnna Vilppunen
- Set DecorationChristoph Merg
- Art DirectionRiina Sipiläinen
- Third Assistant DirectorMelissa Markki
- Makeup DesignerJohanna Eliason
- Foley EditorPanu Riikonen
- Special Effects TechnicianRaine Toikkanen
- Location ManagerKimi Seppänen
- Production Sound MixerMicke Nyström
- Stunt CoordinatorReijo Kontio
- Lighting TechnicianJuha Virtala
- Production Sound MixerJoonas Jyrälä
- Line ProducerPauli Pentti
- DramaturgyJimmy Karlsson
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- world war ii
- biography
- male homosexuality
- lgbt
- lgbt in the military
- gay history
- gay theme
- gay artist
Release history · US
When it landed
- Theatrical2017-10-0512
Also known as
International titles
- Том оф ФинландRU
