Another of the Finnish cut dry style, verging on jet black, humour offering of this director / scriptwriter (and much, auteur-like else, too*), with a simply superb** stand out bittersweet, deadpan performance by Matti Onnismaa** as the lugubrious lead - (amazingly, as first ever, apparently***) - eponymous protagonist as alternately thoroughly menacing, at others - (ah, encounters 'expected'*** of him) - naively bewildered...
With the English titling somewhat misleading, as the Finnish titling has a double English translation meaning, to include what would seem to be the more apt representative of 'Mercy Killer', as, what might first appear to be a sort of slasher cum chiller / horror soon transforms into quite some philosophical challenge on the value of life - and quite equally (rights?) so, animal sentience / awareness especially, as a metaphor to their owner's life: e.g. Check the "God-daughter's sad life" guinea pig ☹ and even, quite, ah, 'barbed' too, for a very strong angling society, fish, too: as see how the anti-hero 'Euthaniser' deals with the decent 'fair / fun' fisher who only 'kindly' practices "catch and release"!
Plus with top ending vehicle stalking / chase included, too - just incidentally contrasting with some similar Stateside storyline cop outs - this is with a 'proper' follow through to the action set up.
BTW: For your, ah, 'appreciation' (fear!) of this, know that there really is a (right wing proto fascist) movement along the 'Soldiers of Finland' idea shown in this (cf. Reality Soldiers of Odin, 'established' two years earlier than this film's production year)****, by which, kudos should be shouted out too for Jari Virman (as Petri) delivering so well a difficult, unempathetic character.
** At minimum, for his first time lead role performance, this is worth alone to see.
Although if you are an animal lover - despite the quite soon and prominent 'no animals were harmed' disclaimer: even given in English amongst the otherwise all Finnish (film) credits - still, fair warning: your revulsion may well be so, ah, fired up, to preferably avoid!
* as would quite praiseworthy seem to be: not quite including the kitchen sink - although, almost, as includes being 'caterer', too, apparently (listed in the credits ☺!), but also like sets and props - (with Sari Altonen, the cinematographer - plus also costuming for her, too) - check titular anti-hero's motorbikes repair shop; since, in any case, only stored there and "not mine", too.
*** in one character foibles development, a bit, ah, dated perhaps here in that erotica-asphyxia surely was all the, ah, breathless rage (well, 'awareness'; I suppose) some way back in the nineties (n'est pas, à la certain band's lead singer demise and all that?)
**** and to both respects here, then, do seek out further, same director's recent "NIMBY": with both actor and, ah, 'grouping' to the fore in.
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