Conflict (Finnish: Konflikti) is a Finnish-American TV miniseries with six-part television series directed by Finnish Aku Louhimies. It began airing on November 30, 2024 on the MTV3 television channel and on the MTV Katsomo streaming service.[1] In addition to Louhimies, the series is written by Andrei Alén, Jari Rantala and Helena Immonen.[2][3] In the first episode of the series, Hanko prepares for the midsummer celebration when unknown enemies take over Hankoniemi. As a result, conflicts arise both in the leadership of the country and among those who remained in the occupied territory.
The first part of the series reached more than a million people in its first week of presentation. The show rights of the series have been sold to several European countries, including France, Poland, Spain and the Baltic states,[4] and in Ukraine, according to Louhimies, the television series is shown without compensation.[5]
Premise
In the first episode of the series, the Hanko Peninsula (Finnish: Hankoniemi) in southern Finland is preparing to celebrate midsummer's eve when unidentified enemies (but implied as Russians) invade the region. As a result, conflicts erupt both within the country's leadership and among the Finns who remain stuck in the occupied territory.
Cast
Government
- Sara Soulié as President Linnea Saaristo, the newly elected head of state and Laavakuru's former protégé
- Pirkka-Pekka Petelius as Prime Minister Kai Laavakuru, the head of government and former Minister for Foreign Affairs
- Jannika Niilerpalo as Noora, the President's police bodyguard
- Sandra Hagelstam as Mia Taanila, chief of staff to Prime Minister Laavakuru
Military
- Peter Franzén as Captain Rami Ohrankämmen, the commander of a conscript battalion and Afghanistan veteran
- Julia Korpinen as Officer Cadet Annika Berg, a conscript and trainee squad leader
- Akseli Kouki as Officer Cadet Kim Kontiainen, a conscript and Berg's boyfriend
- Charles Gibbons as Private Jeff Williams, a Finnish-American conscript in Berg's squad and grandson of the U.S. Speaker of the House Merrill Williams
- Salah Isse Mohamed as Private Youssuf Osman, a conscript in Berg's squad
- Elias Gould as Sergeant Samuli Haju, a conscript captured by the invaders
- Reetta Ylä-Rautio as Corporal Siiri Skog, a conscript captured by the invaders
- Aleksi Kaukamo as Private Juuso Jaakkola, a hot headed conscript
- Akseli Ilvesniemi as Undersergeant Matti Rannila, a conscript
- Salomon Z. Patrick as Private Ilmari Laine, a conscript
- Hector Björklund as Private Antti Suuros, a conscript
- Elias Keränen as Lieutenant Kiiskinen, Ohrankämmen's second in command
- Vincent Willestrand as Staff Sergeant Merinen, an NCO and Ohrankämmen's third in command
- Jukka Puotila as General Parviainen, the Chief of Defence
- Matti Ristinen as Lieutenant General Kuusela, Finnish Army Chief of Operations
- Mia Hafrén as Brigadier General Sandelin, Finnish Army Chief of Communications
- Samuli Vauramo as Captain Kraus, head of the Finnish Special Forces
- Leo Sjöman as Numminen, a Finnish Special Forces operator
- Heikki Slåen as Manner, a Finnish Special Forces operator
- Janne Vakio as Major Autio, an Army adjutant to President Saaristo
- Moe Dunford as Major Jack Brady, a liaison from the United States Army 101st Airborne Division
- Dylan Smith as Vice Admiral Tim Adler, a United States Navy NATO commander
Civilians
- Rory Fleck Byrne as Joshua Belfort, the American husband of Linnea Saaristo
- Nadia Forde as Claire Belfort, Joshua's sister trapped in Harko
- Luke Sharland as Terrance Belfort, Claire's husband
- Arttu Kapulainen as Jusa Soranen, a resident of Hanko and former soldier who served with Ohrankämmen
- Alyona Osmanova as Amanda Soranen, Jusa's Ukrainian wife
- Larry Lamb as Sir Martin Wright, an influential British power broker nicknamed "Mr. Davos"
Episodes
| Series | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||
| 1 | 6 | 30 November 2024 | 4 January 2025 | |
Series 1
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Occupation" | Aku Louhimies | Jari Rantala | 30 November 2024 | |
|
The Midsummer celebrations of the newly elected president Linnea Saaristo are interrupted, the captain of the defense forces Rami Ohrankämmen and the young conscripts are caught by surprise when the enemy invades Finland. | |||||
| 2 | "The Reaction" | Aku Louhimies | Jari Rantala Andrei Alén | 7 December 2024 | |
|
The enemy's demands cause conflicts within the country's leadership. Annika Berg's conscript group struggles to survive. Information influence and cyberwar begin. | |||||
| 3 | "The Resistance" | Aku Louhimies | Jari Rantala Andrei Alén | 14 December 2024 | |
|
President Linnea Saaristo sends special forces to the occupied territory and Prime Minister Kaj Laavakuru acts suspiciously. The enemy threat grows, but there is no way to retreat. | |||||
| 4 | "The Betrayal" | Aku Louhimies | Jari Rantala Aku Louhimies | 21 December 2024 | |
|
The special forces make unpleasant discoveries, and Captain Rami Ohrankämmene's own operation leads to danger. Prime Minister Kaj Laavakuru's suspicious activities come to an unexpected end. | |||||
| 5 | "The Sacrifice" | Aku Louhimies | Andrei Alén Aku Louhimies | 28 December 2024 | |
|
The escape of Annika Berg's conscript group is interrupted. As the conflict escalates, President Saaristo is forced to make a difficult decision. | |||||
| 6 | "The Attack" | Aku Louhimies | Andrei Alén Aku Louhimies | 4 January 2025 | |
|
Special forces continue the rescue operation and Defense Forces troops move into the occupied area. Under the leadership of Captain Rami Ohrankämmene, conscripts fight for freedom. The world is changing. | |||||
Production
Conflict was awarded at the Kultainen Venla gala in January 2025 as the best drama series of the previous year and Aku Louhimies for the best fiction director.[6] Louhimies was also nominated for his script. However, the series received a mixed reception from critics and the public, where it was criticized and praised partly for the same things. The most discussed was its veracity and relevance to the day during the acts of harassment that took place in the Russian Baltic Sea at the same time, although Louhimies said that he had dropped many events that seemed too current from the script. The prominent role of the Finnish Defense Forces in the series increased the realism of the series, which was perceived as frightening. Film critic Kalle Kinnunen saw the series as a useless and idle presentation of the equipment of the defense forces, and sports and cultural influencer Alpo Suhonen considered the series "vomiting militarism, in rally English". On the one hand, the casting of female actors as key political decision-makers in Finland was praised, but on the other hand, the introduction of the two most important female characters at the beginning of the series through sex scenes was criticized.[7]
References
- ^ Seura (2024-11-26). "Konflikti on todentuntuinen skenaario hybridisodasta Suomessa, Pirkka-Pekka Petelius sanoo – Aku Louhimies: "Pyrimme uskottavuuteen"". Seura.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2025-02-12.
- ^ "Tältä näyttää Aku Louhimiehen uusi Konflikti-suursarja". mtvuutiset.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2025-02-12.
- ^ "Televisioarvio | Aku Louhimiehen uudessa sarjassa henkilöhahmot ovat karikatyyrejä ja toiminta laimeaa". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 2024-11-30. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
- ^ Juuti, Mikko (2024-12-05). "Aku Louhimies loi jättisarjan, joka jakoi heti rajusti mielipiteitä – näin vastaa Louhimies". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2025-02-12.
- ^ Airo, Paavo (2024-12-17). "Konflikti-sarja saavutti heti suuren suosion – ohjaaja Aku Louhimies valmistelee jo seuraavaa, Lapin sotaa käsittelevää suurtuotantoa". Reserviläinen (in Finnish). Retrieved 2025-02-12.
- ^ "Voittajat 2024". Kultainen Venla (in Finnish). Retrieved 2025-02-12.
- ^ "Konflikti-sarja jakaa mielipiteitä – tässä sarjan viisi kiistellyintä teemaa". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). 2025-01-17. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
