Mister 8 Explained

Genre:	Comedy drama
Creator:	Teemu Nikki Jani Pösö
Director:	Teemu Nikki
Starring:	Pekka Strang Krista Kosonen
Composer:	Timo Kaukolampi Tuomo Puranen
Country:	Finland
Language:	Finnish
Num Episodes:	8
Producer:	Jani Pösö
Runtime:	24–33 minutes
Company:	It's Alive Films
Channel:	Elisa Viihde Viaplay

Mister 8 is a Finnish eight-part comedy drama series directed by and written by Vesa Virtanen and Nikki and based on an idea by Nikki and . All episodes were released on Elisa Viihde Viaplay on 31 January 2021. The series is about Maria (Krista Kosonen), who has seven dates – one for each day of the week, until the eight man, Juho (Pekka Strang), affects her relationship. Juho wants Maria to himself and tries to get the other men out of the arrangement.^[1]

Cast

Pekka Strang as Juho
Krista Kosonen as Maria
as Pelle
Amir Escandari as Darius
as Terho
as Sepe
as Vertti
as Hermanni
as Tuukka
as Pietari
as Veikko Bergholm
as Jenny
as Mica
as Jussi
Petra Heinänen as Ida
Topi Patjas as Ville
Rafael Airaksinen as Oliver
Essi Patrakka as Adele
Samuli Jaskio as Ilpo
Marjaana Maijala as a therapist
as Marika
as Sanna

Production

Mister 8 was produced by Jani Pösö, Laura Kuulasmaa (Elisa Viihde), and Maria Sekikirkina. The series was shot in black-and-white because Nikki wanted to "create a unique universe" and make it "stand out from the crowd".^[2] Principal photography took place during the autumn of 2019 and filmed in Helsinki.^[3]

Episodes

The English titles are from SBS On Demand.

Accolades

Mister 8 won or was nominated with the following rewards:

Award	Date of Ceremony	Category	Recipient(s)
Canneseries	8–13 October 2021	Best Series	Mister 8	^[4] ^[5]
Canneseries	8–13 October 2021	Best Performance	Pekka Strang	^[4] ^[5]
Golden Venla Awards		Best Comedy Series	Mister 8	^[6]
Golden Venla Awards		Best Actor	Pekka Strang	^[6]

Reception

Pramit Chatterjee of High On Films wrote a positive review about Mister 8 for being outside the norm of traditional romance stories and how it tackles polyamory.^[7] J.A. Kaunisto of Mesta.net wrote that the series is "strange and distortorted" but also "teasing and thought-provoking" and gives "pointed underlines and painful observations about the behaviour of city people of the 21st century" while Nikki and co-writer Vesa Virtanen do not provide explainations.^[8]

Notes and References

Web site: Topelius. Taneli. 31 January 2021. Krista Kososen Maria pyörittää seitsemää miestä viikossa – 4 syytä katsoa Mister8-sarja. Ilta-Sanomat. fi.
Web site: Linville. JD. 13 October 2021. A Man for Every Mood in Artsy Finnish Canneseries Comedy 'Mister 8'. Variety.
Web site: 31 January 2021. "Krista Kososen tähdittämä Mister8 -sarja on jotain, mitä ei ole aikaisemmin tehty Suomessa" – lue juttu kuvausten kulisseista. Mesta.net. fi.
Web site: Liukkonen. Anuliina. 14 October 2021. Mister8 voitti Cannesissa tv-ohjelmien pääpalkinnon: "Tuntui käsittämättömältä". Katso. fi.
Web site: Roxborough. Scott. 13 October 2021. Finnish Comedy 'Mister8' Wins CanneSeries. The Hollywood Reporter.
Web site: Parkkinen. Pia. 18 November 2021. Kultainen Venla ehdokkaiden lyhytlista julkaistiin – Ylen ohjelmille ja niiden tekijöille yli 50 mainintaa. Yle. fi.
Web site: Chatterjee. Pramit. 21 October 2021. Mister 8 [2021]
Canneseries Review – A Comedic Yet Tense Look At The Practiccality OF Polyamory]
. High On Films.
Web site: 31 January 2021. Elisa Viihde Viaplayssa julkaistu Mister8 on kiusoitteleva ja ajatuksia herättävä sarjakummajainen – "Suomen ensimmäinen neo noir -rakkauskertomus" – lue arvostelu. Mesta.net. fi.