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The Punk Syndrome

Play trailer Poster for The Punk Syndrome 2012 1h 25m Documentary Music Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 16 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Four mentally impaired Finnish musicians form a successful punk band known as Pertti Kurikka's Name Day.

Critics Reviews

View All (16) Critics Reviews
Derek Malcolm London Evening Standard They are a noisy delight if not exactly The Clash. Rated: 3/5 Feb 1, 2013 Full Review Robbie Collin Daily Telegraph (UK) What the film lacks in shape it makes up for in integrity and good humour. Rated: 3/5 Feb 1, 2013 Full Review Peter Bradshaw Guardian This likable documentary about a Finnish punk band whose members are all middle-aged men with learning disabilities opens a window on to another world. Rated: 3/5 Jan 31, 2013 Full Review Jordan M. Smith IONCINEMA.com Somewhere in this footage there is a brilliant story of overcoming adversity through the acceptance of the classically outcast, but what is here feels lazy, incomplete, and somewhat exploitative. Feb 9, 2020 Full Review Holly Cooper CineVue A compelling and often brutally direct documentary that confronts attitudes towards mental disability through an inspiring group of punk rockers. Rated: 4/5 Feb 8, 2019 Full Review Chris Knight National Post Fun, light-hearted and proof that disability is no barrier to musical success, but it could have benefited from a little more background on the band members. Rated: 2.5/4 Dec 13, 2013 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (9) audience reviews
Audience Member This could be viewed as a darker in tone companion piece to Heavy Load, it's entertaining and shows you just how positive and inclusive the punk music scene can be. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Inhimillisyyden korkea veisu Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member I saw this at the 2013 Cleveland International Film Festival. The Finnish punk band Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät deals with many of the same issues other bands face. Pertti Kurikka, the namesake of the band, is the lead guitarist and main songwriter for the group. Kari is the singer. Sami is the bassist. And Toni is the drummer. The punk rock attitude is a great fit for these four men with mental handicaps, who just want to be treated with dignity and respect. Pertti shares some sad stories from his past and talks about some of his emotional challenges. Kari sings a great song in the recording studio about his hate for pedicurists and seeks some freedom over his own actions, especially when spending time with his girlfriend. Sami is interested in politics and seems to constantly, but accidentally, have a way of irritating both Pertti and Kari. Toni, the youngest of the group and the quietest, deals with the prospect of moving out of his parents' home for a group home and a broken heart. We see their manager Kalle as he assists them professional and tries to be there personally for them too. We witness rehearsals, recording sessions, tours, concerts, and a bit of each of their personal lives through the moment they experience the triumph of releasing their first album. Punk lyrics are often growled and yelled so rapidly that it can be hard to catch them all in any language, so it was a blessing to have subtitles, which only increased my appreciation of their music. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member Realistic, funny and touching. Real life through the eyes of a disabled band members. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member No nyt oli hieno ja maanläheinen bändileffa! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member Asennetta ja aitoja tyyppejä! :) Punk is not dead! ;D Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Punk Syndrome

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis Four mentally impaired Finnish musicians form a successful punk band known as Pertti Kurikka's Name Day.
Director
Jukka Kärkkäinen, Jani-Petteri Passi
Producer
Sami Jahnukainen
Screenwriter
Jukka Kärkkäinen, Jani-Petteri Passi, Sami Jahnukainen
Production Co
Indie Film AS, Mouka Filmi Oy, Film i Skåne, Auto Images
Genre
Documentary, Music
Original Language
Finnish
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 30, 2016
Runtime
1h 25m