The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki

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The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki

2017

1h 33m

Drama

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98%

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56 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Olli Mäki loses a fight for the world championship in the second round by knockout in front of a packed stadium.

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Critics Consensus

The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki sidesteps sports biopic clichés with a beautifully filmed, well-acted look at the balance between career fulfillment and personal happiness.

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Scott Marks

San Diego Reader

06/02/2017

4/5

J.P. Passi's hand-held black-and-white cinematography cries out for big-screen viewing.

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Peter Hartlaub

San Francisco Chronicle

05/10/2017

3/4

This is a very small film, with a big heart.

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Simran Hans

Observer (UK)

04/23/2017

4/5

A warm, welcome sideways look at the Finnish featherweight boxing champion Olli Mki.

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Dan Scully

Cinema76

03/25/2020

There's just something cozy and delightful about the whole thing that has left me glowing in the time since I watched it.

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David Harris

Spectrum Culture

12/07/2019

3/5

An appealing and harmless film that slyly subverts a genre long known for its unshakable touchstones.

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Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

10/09/2019

3.5/5

The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki succeeds as a unique endeavor because Kuosmanen elides formula.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 07/07/2025

Success in 1 hour and 32 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In Finnish and American English audio versions with American English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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11/12/2017

8/10 The best we can say about this movie is that Juho Kuosmanen had complete control of the story from beginning to end. The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mali trlls the true story of the fight for the Lightweight

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07/22/2017

Cute and fun movie with an atypical resolution. Really enjoyable!

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07/03/2017

Una maravilla de direcciòn en blanco y negro, una pelìcula sobre el box sin caer en lugares ccomunes.

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06/17/2017

A winningly perceptive Finnish biopic that also excels as a whimsical existential dramedy. Anchored by Scandinavian dour humour and beatific vignettes, it examines if happiness is really about personal gains or emotional fulfilment. Deserves to be seen by a wider audience, rather than be predictably relegated to the niche "B&W" or "Foreign film" shelves.

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06/07/2017

I like it. Small, simple, touching. A love story rather than a boxing movie.

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Juho Kuosmanen

Director

Jarkko Lahti

Olli Mäki

Eero Milonoff

Elis Ask

Oona Airola

Raija Jänkä

Joonas Saartamo

Actor

John Bosco Jr.

Davey Moore

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Synopsis

Olli Mäki loses a fight for the world championship in the second round by knockout in front of a packed stadium.

Director: Juho Kuosmanen
Producer: Jussi Rantamäki
Screenwriter: Juho Kuosmanen, Mikko Myllylahti
Distributor: MUBI
Production Co: One Two Films, Tre Vänner Produktion AB
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Finnish
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 21, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 8, 2017
Runtime: 1h 33m