What they want, and cannot achieve, is freedom. The breakthrough film of Mika and Aki Kaurismäki.

Mika directed, Aki wrote dialogue, thus all the familiar elements are there; dark deadpan humour, stylish soundtrack, stunning cinematography, references to French cinema and drifting losers on the road.

FICTIONAL ROAD MOVIE

On its release, The Worthless seemed an unusual film for director Mika Kaurismaki to make. Better known for his somewhat worthy documentary films, critics were surprised to find themselves viewing a fictional road movie about a pair of young middle class criminals.

Kaurismaki’s direction focussed on the themes of friendship and independence, themes he has explored before and since, and created a brutally honest, yet beautiful film about life on the fringes of Finnish society.

The Worthless is surprisingly fast-paced too, flying in the face of the dour stereotype of Nordic cinema. Much of this is down to the hugely engaging leads, with remarkable performances from Matti Pellonpää and Pirkko Hamalainen, both of whom went on to develop successful careers on film and stage.