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Trailer

The Match Factory Girl

1990Movie1 h 9 minNR

Drama
89
ExcellentGoodWatch score
IMDb7.5Rotten Tomatoes100%85%

A profoundly sad, relentlessly bleak drama movie about everyday modern life and class and money.

Good for thought-provoking · adults · solo watch

Skip it if you need an uplifting mood

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Not for warmth, comfort or laughs.

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Story

Iris is a shy and dowdy young woman stuck in a dead-end job at a match factory, who dreams of finding love at the local dancehall. Finding herself pregnant after a one-night stand and abandoned by the father, Iris finally decides the time has come to get even and she begins to plot her revenge.

Feels like

  • Finnish Social Realism
  • Revenge Tragedy
  • Working-Class Bleakness
  • Minimalist Style
  • Darkly Humorous
  • Social Critique
  • Melancholic Tone
  • Subdued Acting
  • Pessimistic Outlook

Cast

7 of 7

Crew

Directed by
Aki Kaurismäki
Written by
Aki Kaurismäki
Produced by
Aki Kaurismäki, Katinka Faragó, Klas Olofsson
Music by
Juuso Hirvikangas, Jouko Lumme, Tom Forsström

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

January 12, 1990 · 1 h 9 min · NR

Released
January 12, 1990
Runtime
1 h 9 min
Age rating
NR
Content
Violence
Genres
Drama
Original language
Finnish
Made in
Finland, Sweden
Budget
$83,038
Available in
121 countries

Tropes

Dances and Balls, Hate Sink, Offscreen Crash +9

  • Dances and Balls
  • Hate Sink
  • Offscreen Crash
  • Silence Is Golden
  • Downer Ending
  • Establishing Character Moment
  • One-Person Birthday Party
  • Gory Discretion Shot
  • Would Hit a Girl
  • Beware the Quiet Ones
  • Good Smoking, Evil Smoking
  • Leave the Camera Running

12 of 18 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

6 questions, like "Where can I stream The Match Factory Girl?"

Questions about The Match Factory Girl

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Match Factory Girl?

Criterion

In the United States, The Match Factory Girl streams on Criterion. It also streams in 118 other countries.

Is The Match Factory Girl worth watching?

89
ExcellentGoodWatch score

Yes, it's widely acclaimed, with a GoodWatch score of 89 (IMDb 7.5 and Rotten Tomatoes 100%). Critics rate it higher (100 out of 100) than audiences (80).

Will I feel good after watching The Match Factory Girl?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 9 of 10 for bleakness and 9 for melancholy, against 2 for hopefulness.

Is The Match Factory Girl plot-driven or character-driven?

CharactersPlot

Mostly character-driven: it leans on character depth (8 of 10) and pathos (8 of 10) more than on its plot.

Is The Match Factory Girl in English?

Finnish

No, it was made in Finnish.