Crime and Punishment

Crime and Punishment

Year: 1983

Runtime: 93 mins

Language: Finnish

Director: Aki Kaurismäki

CrimeDrama

In Helsinki, a former law student now working in a slaughterhouse commits a senseless crime that plunges him into isolation. A woman who happens to be at the scene becomes obsessed with him, but both are haunted by guilt and a tightening police investigation that casts a dark shadow over their desperate, fragile romance.

Crime and Punishment (1983) – Spoiler-Free Movie Summary & Plot Overview

Get a spoiler-free look at Crime and Punishment (1983) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.

In the cold, gray streets of Helsinki, everyday life hums beneath a layer of quiet desperation. The city’s stark architecture and overcast skies form a backdrop where ordinary sounds—trams clattering, distant sirens—feel like a soundtrack for hidden tensions. A world where routine jobs mask deeper unease, and the line between solitude and connection blurs under the weight of unspoken regrets.

Antti Rahikainen is a former law student whose path has taken him to the unforgiving rhythm of a slaughterhouse. The precision of the work mirrors the exacting standards he once pursued in the courtroom, yet his current existence feels detached, as if each shift chips away at a lingering sense of purpose. A single, senseless act pushes him further into isolation, amplifying a simmering inner conflict that he struggles to articulate even to himself.

Eeva Laakso wanders the same streets, her life intersecting with Antti’s in a moment that leaves an indelible impression. Drawn by a mix of curiosity and an unexplainable fixation, she becomes a silent observer of his unraveling. Their encounters are charged with a fragile, tentative intimacy, each conversation hinting at the possibility of redemption while also exposing the raw edges of their lingering guilt.

A tightening police investigation casts a dark shadow over the city, its presence felt in whispered conversations and watchful eyes. As Antti and Eeva navigate the precarious space between longing and accountability, the film balances stark realism with a moody, almost literary atmosphere. The romance that blossoms is as delicate as the frost on Helsinki’s waterfront—beautiful, trembling, and ever‑threatened by the cold reality pressing in from all sides.

Last Updated: December 04, 2025 at 16:17

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Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Thrillers about the psychological burden of guilt like Crime and Punishment

Characters haunted by past actions, struggling under the oppressive weight of remorse.If you liked the oppressive guilt in Crime and Punishment, explore more movies where characters are psychologically tormented by their past actions. These films often share a dark tone, steady pacing, and a heavy emotional weight, focusing on the internal struggle for redemption after a crime.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative typically follows a character after they have committed a significant transgression, charting their mental and emotional decline as guilt consumes them. The story is a character study of moral collapse and the agonizing, often bittersweet, path toward some form of reckoning or acceptance.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here because they share a core focus on the psychological aftermath of a crime. The similarity lies in the oppressive mood, the heavy emotional weight of guilt, and the dark, introspective journey of a protagonist grappling with their own morality.

Movies with obsessive bonds forged by crime like Crime and Punishment

Unlikely, fragile relationships formed under the extreme pressure of violence and investigation.Discover more films like Crime and Punishment that feature desperate, obsessive relationships born from a shared connection to a crime. These stories explore how violence and guilt twist human connections, often set against a tense police investigation and a melancholic, desperate atmosphere.

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Narrative Summary

The plot often revolves around a central crime that brings two or more characters into a desperate alliance. Their relationship becomes a focal point, evolving under the constant threat of exposure from a methodical investigation. The romance or connection is typically fragile, intense, and complicated by psychological turmoil.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their unique dynamic of a romance or deep connection that is inextricably linked to a crime. The shared elements include a tense, investigative backdrop, a dark and melancholic mood, and a focus on the desperate, often unhealthy, nature of the bond.

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Crime and Punishment Summary

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Crime and Punishment Summary

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Crime and Punishment Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in Crime and Punishment

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Crime and Punishment

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