By Eric Hillis, TheMovieWaffler.com
originally published: 06/16/2015
Finnish writer-director Jalmari Helander arrived on the scene with his 2010 debut Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, which posed the question "What if Santa Claus existed, but he was evil?" Helander played things a little too straight and the movie failed to live up to the promise of its premise. For his sophomore effort, Helander gives us an equally high concept - what if the life of the President of the USA were left in the hands of a 13 year old boy? This time out Helander has struck a pitch perfect balance, serving up a fine fillet of Finnish fun that delivers on old school thrills without ever patronising its genre.
As with Rare Exports, Big Game takes us to the wilds of Northern Finland, an area closer in culture to tribal Africa than Northern Europe, a place where men still kill their food. The most respected hunter is Tapio (Jorma Tommila), who followed local custom by spending a day and night alone in the woods - armed only with a bow and arrows - on his 13th birthday, and returned with the carcass of a bear, making him an instant local legend. It's now the turn of Tapio's 13 year old son Oskari (Onni Tommila) to venture into the forest, but unable to even fire an arrow, it seems the apple has fallen considerably far from the tree.
Meanwhile, en route to a convention in Helsinki is the President of the United States, Bill (Samuel L. Jackson). Bill is oblivious to the fact that his head of security (Ray Stevenson) has betrayed him, faking an attack by terrorists to eject him from Air Force One over the forests of Northern Finland, where a group of big game hunters wait to claim the biggest trophy of all. As luck would have it, Bill crash lands right at the spot where Oskari is haphazardly hunting. Discovering his betrayal, Bill insists Oskari get as far away from him as possible, but Oskari vows to get the President out of the woods safely, seeing this as the perfect opportunity to prove himself to his father and his village.
As recent as two decades ago, a movie like Big Game would have been a big deal. Now its premise would be dismissed by Hollywood execs as too small scale. Where's the robot army? Can we give POTUS super-powers? Does it have to be set in Finland? But Helander goes all out here, and Big Game wouldn't seem out of place alongside '90s blockbuster fare like Air Force One and Con Air. Made for a mere 13 million, Helander has gotten serious bang for his buck, keeping computer graphic (CG) to a distraction free minimum and exploiting the stunning location for extra production value.
While it has its share of one-liners and amusing beats, Big Game plays its premise with a commendably straight face, and a beating heart. Alongside the thunderous set-pieces we're treated to moments of sweetness between the film's unlikely heroic duo, who trade lessons in survival garnered from lives led in disparate but equally hostile environments - the rough terrain of Northern Finland and the treacherous corridors of Washington DC. Helander's film is at once a celebration and a critique of Scandinavian machismo. When the defiant Oskari tells Bill "In Finland you have to be tough," his face is torn between pride and despondency.
Playing a weak man forced to portray an outward strength, Jackson is given a chance to self-examine his career. "You don't have to be tough; you just need to look tough," his Bill tells young Oskari, demonstrating the piercing gaze Jackson has built his career on. It's a long time since I've enjoyed watching Jackson, but his subtle and sweet performance here is a side of the actor rarely glimpsed.
The spirit of '80s and '90s action cinema permeates Big Game, and it's easy to imagine Helander and his mates cracking open beer cans on a sofa while watching Die Hard or First Blood, but the movie it evokes most for me is The Wizard of Oz, with Tommila as a grubby-faced Dorothy and Jackson as The Tin Man, Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion all rolled into one. If you're after an action movie with heart, you could do a lot worse than follow this yellow brick road.
8 out of 10 stars
Directed by: Jalmari Helander
Starring: Samuel L Jackson, Onni Tommila, Ray Stevenson, Victor Garber, Mehmet Kurtulus, Jim Broadbent, Ted Levine, Felicity Huffman
About the author:
Eric Hillis is a film critic living in Sligo, Ireland who runs the website
TheMovieWaffler.com
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EVENT PREVIEWS
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"Directors' Commentary" to have NJ Premiere at SModcastle Film Festival
(ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ) -- After its world premiere at Dances With Films LA (DWFLA), one of the nation's leading indie film festivals, Directors' Commentary will have its New Jersey Premiere at SModcastle Film Festival, hosted by filmmaker Kevin Smith. The film will screen on Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 12:00pm.
Teaneck International Film Festival Names Katie Camosy Recipient of 2026 Emerging Filmmaker Activist Award for "Gaslit"
(TEANECK, NJ) -- The Teaneck International Film Festival (TIFF) and The Puffin Foundation have selected director Katie Camosy as the recipient of the 2nd Annual Emerging Filmmaker Activist Award for her documentary Gaslit. The award includes a $5,000 cash prize and trophy and recognizes emerging filmmakers whose work embodies TIFF's guiding theme, "Activism: Making Change."
James R. Halsey Foundation Student Film Showcase to Take Place November 12th
(TRENTON, NJ) -- The James R. Halsey Foundation of the Arts (JRH), a 501c3 non-profit agency dedicated to providing quality arts education and mentoring to youth in the City of Trenton and greater New Jersey area presents the 2026 Student Film Showcase. Taking place on November 12th at the New Jersey State Museum Auditorium from 5:00pm - 8:00pm, this event features three films, written, directed, and produced by students, as well as a documentary focused on raising awareness on men's mental health, featuring authentic student voices and professional interviews.
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(RED BANK, NJ) -- Count Basie Center for the Arts will cap its Centennial Celebration with an immersive re-enactment of its opening night on Saturday, November 14, 2026 at 6:00pm. Patrons can expect an immersive theatrical presentation from the moment they approach the venue – from 'stars' of the era arriving in classic cars, Gatsby-esque fashion and flair, an authentic speakeasy experience with custom, era-specific cocktails and mocktails, 1920s hot jazz and more.
Learn about producing films with "Producing 101: From Script to Set with The Gig Media"
(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Interested in filmmaking? You can learn how to produce a film like a pro at "Producing 101: From Script to Set with The Gig Media" on Saturday, November 14, 2026 at Miraley Studios in Jersey City.
The Clairidge hosts Indie Film Showcase on November 21st
(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- On Saturday, November 21, 2026, The Clairidge hosts a film showcase featuring three indie films - Wedding Night, Lady in the Mirror, and End of the Line: Brotherhood. Dive into three epic tales, one screen, and endless vibes at The Official Film Showcase. Showtime is 1:30pm.
