Joonatan Itkonen
@toisto.net
🆔 AuDHD | Queer | He/him
📋 Writer for film, comics, and games
🎞️ Bylines: KonsoliFIN, Toisto, Pelaaja, Movies We Texted About, FILMHOUNDS, Debug Magazine
🍅meter and Metacritic listed | FIPRESCI, OFTA, IFSC member
📩 joonatan@toisto.net
📋 Writer for film, comics, and games
🎞️ Bylines: KonsoliFIN, Toisto, Pelaaja, Movies We Texted About, FILMHOUNDS, Debug Magazine
🍅meter and Metacritic listed | FIPRESCI, OFTA, IFSC member
📩 joonatan@toisto.net
In theaters today, The Running Man is a mostly entertaining and handsomely produced adaptation of King's prescient novel, let down by Edgar Wright pulling all his punches where they matter most. What a frustrating movie. #Filmsky
toisto.net/the-running-...
toisto.net/the-running-...
The Running Man is a frustratingly timid King adaptation
★★★ | Mostly fun and handsomely produced, The Running Man suffers from a lack of conviction that robs it of urgency and impact.
toisto.net
November 14, 2025 at 12:24 PM
In theaters today, The Running Man is a mostly entertaining and handsomely produced adaptation of King's prescient novel, let down by Edgar Wright pulling all his punches where they matter most. What a frustrating movie. #Filmsky
toisto.net/the-running-...
toisto.net/the-running-...
This has been a great year for game releases and just as I thought we were winding down, I ended up playing two all-time classics in the same genre. The first one, Anno 117, is familiar in mechanics, but tuned to perfection. I loved every minute with it. #gaming toisto.net/anno-117-pax...
Anno 117: Pax Romana is a an all-time great strategy game
★★★★★ | Smartly designed, impeccably produced, and tremendously enjoyable, Anno 117 is one of the best games in its genre this year.
toisto.net
November 13, 2025 at 7:33 AM
This has been a great year for game releases and just as I thought we were winding down, I ended up playing two all-time classics in the same genre. The first one, Anno 117, is familiar in mechanics, but tuned to perfection. I loved every minute with it. #gaming toisto.net/anno-117-pax...
Now You See Me, Now You Don't is like watching a bad magic act from an unbearably smug magician, where there's almost a perverse pleasure in seeing them fumble the ball so hard. #filmsky toisto.net/now-you-see-...
Now You See Me, Now You Don't review
★ | Tediuous, tiresome, and unbearably smug. Now You See Me, Now You Don't is a failed magic trick in every conceivable way.
toisto.net
November 11, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Now You See Me, Now You Don't is like watching a bad magic act from an unbearably smug magician, where there's almost a perverse pleasure in seeing them fumble the ball so hard. #filmsky toisto.net/now-you-see-...
I liked The Outer Worlds 2. In any other year, I may have even loved it. But 2025 is an all-time great year for RPG gaming, and The Outer Worlds is a very safe and often frustratingly limited experience that is fine when it could be outstanding. #gaming
toisto.net/the-outer-wo...
toisto.net/the-outer-wo...
The Outer Worlds 2 is fine when it should be great
★★★★ | Often sublime but mostly simply fine, The Outer Worlds 2 is a good enough game that could be so much more.
toisto.net
November 10, 2025 at 5:58 PM
I liked The Outer Worlds 2. In any other year, I may have even loved it. But 2025 is an all-time great year for RPG gaming, and The Outer Worlds is a very safe and often frustratingly limited experience that is fine when it could be outstanding. #gaming
toisto.net/the-outer-wo...
toisto.net/the-outer-wo...
Happy Frankenstein day to those who celebrate. Guillermo del Toro's magnificent adaptation of Mary Shelley's breathtaking novel is now on Netflix. I loved it to bits. #filmsky
toisto.net/tiff-review-...
toisto.net/tiff-review-...
TIFF Review: Frankenstein is a masterpiece
★★★★★ | Exquisitely crafted and sumptuous to behold, Frankenstein is a vivid masterpiece.
toisto.net
November 7, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Happy Frankenstein day to those who celebrate. Guillermo del Toro's magnificent adaptation of Mary Shelley's breathtaking novel is now on Netflix. I loved it to bits. #filmsky
toisto.net/tiff-review-...
toisto.net/tiff-review-...
Death by Lightning features tremendous performances from Matthew McFadyen and Michael Shannon as two men both thrust into and forgotten by history in the blink of an eye. I really liked this one. #netflix #filmsky
toisto.net/death-by-lig...
toisto.net/death-by-lig...
Death by Lightning is another great Netflix series
★★★★ | Michael Shannon and Matthew MacFadyen impress in this very fictionalized story that skewers American exceptionalism.
toisto.net
November 6, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Death by Lightning features tremendous performances from Matthew McFadyen and Michael Shannon as two men both thrust into and forgotten by history in the blink of an eye. I really liked this one. #netflix #filmsky
toisto.net/death-by-lig...
toisto.net/death-by-lig...
ARC Raiders is gorgeous, runs smoothly, and does all the right aesthetic choices that spark joy. But after 40 hours topside, I still yearn for a pure PVE mode and something that would break free from the confines of the genre. It's good. It can be better.
toisto.net/arc-raiders-...
toisto.net/arc-raiders-...
Arc Raiders is a pretty but shallow extraction shooter
★★★ | Beautiful and smooth to play, Arc Raiders nonetheless suffers from all the same issues as every other extraction shooter.
toisto.net
November 6, 2025 at 11:37 AM
ARC Raiders is gorgeous, runs smoothly, and does all the right aesthetic choices that spark joy. But after 40 hours topside, I still yearn for a pure PVE mode and something that would break free from the confines of the genre. It's good. It can be better.
toisto.net/arc-raiders-...
toisto.net/arc-raiders-...
Reposted by Joonatan Itkonen
I knew it would take less than a day for a tiktok dj to make something.
November 5, 2025 at 12:13 PM
I knew it would take less than a day for a tiktok dj to make something.
Kaikki tämä pätee myös meihin kriitikoihn ja sisällöntuottajiin. Olen tehnyt tänä vuonna satoja arvosteluja, haastatteluja ja videoita, vieraillut radiossa ja luennoimassa niin kotimaassa kuin ulkomailla. Käteen ei ole jäänyt mitään. Ensi vuonna yksi apuraha pelastaa alkuvuoden ja sekin on ihme.
Kirjallisuus on tällä hetkellä mahdollista vain, koska kirjailijat tekevät työtä ilmaiseksi, kirjoittaa Pontus Purokuru.
Missä rahat?
Kirjallisuus on tällä hetkellä mahdollista vain, koska kirjailijat tekevät työtä ilmaiseksi.
substack.com
November 5, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Kaikki tämä pätee myös meihin kriitikoihn ja sisällöntuottajiin. Olen tehnyt tänä vuonna satoja arvosteluja, haastatteluja ja videoita, vieraillut radiossa ja luennoimassa niin kotimaassa kuin ulkomailla. Käteen ei ole jäänyt mitään. Ensi vuonna yksi apuraha pelastaa alkuvuoden ja sekin on ihme.
Night Visions Maximum Halloween reviews thread!
It's November, which means it is time for another round of Night Visions screenings here in Helsinki. I checked out most of the catalog in advance and will drop the reviews here of all of them.
It's November, which means it is time for another round of Night Visions screenings here in Helsinki. I checked out most of the catalog in advance and will drop the reviews here of all of them.
November 5, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Night Visions Maximum Halloween reviews thread!
It's November, which means it is time for another round of Night Visions screenings here in Helsinki. I checked out most of the catalog in advance and will drop the reviews here of all of them.
It's November, which means it is time for another round of Night Visions screenings here in Helsinki. I checked out most of the catalog in advance and will drop the reviews here of all of them.
Always nice to see my name quoted in such smart and esteemed company!
Critics say #PredatorBadlands has stunning visuals, a surprising amount of heart, and an effortlessly vibrant performance from Elle Fanning.
Predator: Badlands First Reviews: Fresh, Thrilling, Ambitious, and One of the Best in the Franchise
Critics say Elle Fanning is effortlessly vibrant in a film full of stunning visuals and incredible world-building.
editorial.rottentomatoes.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Always nice to see my name quoted in such smart and esteemed company!
Predator: Badlands isn't surprising nor particularly inventive, but it is entertaining and breezy, and that counts for something. Also, please let Elle Fanning become the new Sigourney Weaver for this franchise. She deserves it. #filmsky
toisto.net/predator-bad...
toisto.net/predator-bad...
Predator: Badlands is Elle Fanning's show
★★★ | Breezy and fun with a magnetic performance from Elle Fanning, Predator: Badlands is a good enough addition to the franchise.
toisto.net
November 4, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Predator: Badlands isn't surprising nor particularly inventive, but it is entertaining and breezy, and that counts for something. Also, please let Elle Fanning become the new Sigourney Weaver for this franchise. She deserves it. #filmsky
toisto.net/predator-bad...
toisto.net/predator-bad...
As we barrel towards the end of the year, I've begun to calculate how many pieces I've finished in the last 12 months. So far: 147 theatrical reviews, 50 streaming, 45 physical media, and 54 games, 10 interviews, 6 film festivals, and Gamescom. And there's still more in the pipeline. Phew!
a man is typing on a computer keyboard while making a face .
Alt: Jim Carrey is typing on a keyboard while making a face.
media.tenor.com
November 3, 2025 at 4:00 PM
As we barrel towards the end of the year, I've begun to calculate how many pieces I've finished in the last 12 months. So far: 147 theatrical reviews, 50 streaming, 45 physical media, and 54 games, 10 interviews, 6 film festivals, and Gamescom. And there's still more in the pipeline. Phew!
By framing The Witcher as a grand saga in the style of the Arthurian romances, the fourth season finds a renewed energy and sense of fun. Hemsworth impresses as Geralt and there's a promise the final season will make the difficult journey worthwhile. #thewitcher toisto.net/the-witcher-...
The Witcher: Season 4 is surprisingly good
★★★ | After a slow start, The Witcher: Season 4 finds its own rhythm and grandeur that reminds us why this show was so good in the first place.
toisto.net
October 31, 2025 at 10:24 AM
By framing The Witcher as a grand saga in the style of the Arthurian romances, the fourth season finds a renewed energy and sense of fun. Hemsworth impresses as Geralt and there's a promise the final season will make the difficult journey worthwhile. #thewitcher toisto.net/the-witcher-...
Yorgos Lanthimos is like Tim Burton for mistanthropes. I really did not enjoy Bugonia. #filmsky
toisto.net/bugonia-emma...
toisto.net/bugonia-emma...
Review: Bugonia is a dull and mean-spirited remake
★ | Thoughtlessly mean and cynical, Bugonia is another tiresome Lanthimos film about bad people doing bad things to pointless ends.
toisto.net
October 31, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Yorgos Lanthimos is like Tim Burton for mistanthropes. I really did not enjoy Bugonia. #filmsky
toisto.net/bugonia-emma...
toisto.net/bugonia-emma...
Script consulting and script doctors have been a thing in the film industry for a century. They can do wonders by bringing in an outside perspective. Everyone that I've met from SBI has been incredibly smart, witty, and kind. Exactly the kind of people you'd want to work with on a project.
There’s a sudden influx of people asking what Sweet Baby Inc *do*. So here I am, a Sweet Baby Inc employee, to tell you: we are writers & narrative designers! We write and help create stories, all with the enthusiastic consent of the studios who hire us!
Great thread about that here! \/\/
Great thread about that here! \/\/
I am summoned
Yeah, hugely disappointed by Shesez here. Sweet Baby Inc was not "designed to consult and steer more inclusion" into games. They are brought on purposefully as a second opinion on narrative by large studios. They're script doctors. There's no pressure campaign to hire them.
Yeah, hugely disappointed by Shesez here. Sweet Baby Inc was not "designed to consult and steer more inclusion" into games. They are brought on purposefully as a second opinion on narrative by large studios. They're script doctors. There's no pressure campaign to hire them.
October 29, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Script consulting and script doctors have been a thing in the film industry for a century. They can do wonders by bringing in an outside perspective. Everyone that I've met from SBI has been incredibly smart, witty, and kind. Exactly the kind of people you'd want to work with on a project.
Sat down to do a quick glance at the mechanics for Farthest Frontier and lost myself for almost four hours into its hypnotic graces. This is going to be fun.
October 29, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Sat down to do a quick glance at the mechanics for Farthest Frontier and lost myself for almost four hours into its hypnotic graces. This is going to be fun.
Deliver Me From Nowhere is a painful collection of fictionalized events and reductive clichés about one of the greatest musical artists of our time. Both The Boss and his fans deserve far better. #filmsky toisto.net/springsteen-...
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is a mess of a biopic
★ | A reductive and painfully stilted biopic that hits every cliche imaginable.
toisto.net
October 27, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Deliver Me From Nowhere is a painful collection of fictionalized events and reductive clichés about one of the greatest musical artists of our time. Both The Boss and his fans deserve far better. #filmsky toisto.net/springsteen-...
After a month with Battlefield 6, I think I can formulate an opinion on the mammoth shooter. It's a fine return to the basics, but very little more than that. In time, it has the potential to be amazing. It's just not there yet. #gaming
toisto.net/battlefield-...
toisto.net/battlefield-...
Battlefield 6 - Campaign & Multiplayer review
★★★ | Nostalgic to a fault, Battlefield 6 is the bare minimum product that is designed to get better over time. Right now, it's just fine, but nothing more.
toisto.net
October 26, 2025 at 11:39 AM
After a month with Battlefield 6, I think I can formulate an opinion on the mammoth shooter. It's a fine return to the basics, but very little more than that. In time, it has the potential to be amazing. It's just not there yet. #gaming
toisto.net/battlefield-...
toisto.net/battlefield-...
Oh my goodness, House of Dynamite knocked the wind out of me. Woah.
October 24, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Oh my goodness, House of Dynamite knocked the wind out of me. Woah.
I celebrated by watching three movies in one day. Time well spent.
We're so happy to wish our friend and member @toisto.net the BIGGEST HAPPY BIRTHDAY! We've had a blast having you as a member of our team and can't wait to see what amazing things the year has in store for you! Celebrate with Joonatan by checking out his tremendous work at toisto.net/author/joona...
Joonatan Itkonen - Toisto.net
Joonatan is an award-winning autistic freelance writer from Helsinki, Finland. He specializes in pop culture analysis from a neurodivergent point of view.
toisto.net
October 23, 2025 at 8:01 PM
I celebrated by watching three movies in one day. Time well spent.
I've worked as a writer on two games that I know I didn't get credit on, and that's not taking into account design work done in unofficial capacity. Every time I bring up my work when applying somewhere, I feel weirdly guilty about it, since my name doesn't appear on the final product.
October 23, 2025 at 3:42 PM
I've worked as a writer on two games that I know I didn't get credit on, and that's not taking into account design work done in unofficial capacity. Every time I bring up my work when applying somewhere, I feel weirdly guilty about it, since my name doesn't appear on the final product.
I really, really, really liked IT: Welcome to Derry. But it does deserve every trigger warning going. This is some of the harshest and audacious horror I've ever seen on TV. #filmsky
toisto.net/it-welcome-t...
toisto.net/it-welcome-t...
Review: IT: Welcome to Derry delights and disgusts
★★★★ | Terrifying and exciting in equal measure, Welcome to Derry is one of the scariest horror shows in years, and a fantastic expansion of Stephen King's masterful universe.
toisto.net
October 23, 2025 at 10:30 AM
I really, really, really liked IT: Welcome to Derry. But it does deserve every trigger warning going. This is some of the harshest and audacious horror I've ever seen on TV. #filmsky
toisto.net/it-welcome-t...
toisto.net/it-welcome-t...
Starting out my cake day with a screening of the Springsteen movie, which has an uphill battle ahead as the perfect movie about The Boss already exists and it's called Blinded by the Light.
a man sitting at a table with the words bruce is the direct line to all that 's true in this shitty world below him
ALT: a man sitting at a table with the words bruce is the direct line to all that 's true in this shitty world below him
media.tenor.com
October 23, 2025 at 5:31 AM
Starting out my cake day with a screening of the Springsteen movie, which has an uphill battle ahead as the perfect movie about The Boss already exists and it's called Blinded by the Light.
We're not getting Guillermo Del Toro's incredible Frankenstein in theaters here in Finland. Instead, they're re-releasing the entire Twilight saga for a limited theatrical run. Every day I'm more and more convinced this is The Bad Place.
a woman in a judge 's robe is saying earth is a mess y 'all .
Alt: a woman in a judge 's robe is saying earth is a mess y 'all .
media.tenor.com
October 21, 2025 at 6:14 AM
We're not getting Guillermo Del Toro's incredible Frankenstein in theaters here in Finland. Instead, they're re-releasing the entire Twilight saga for a limited theatrical run. Every day I'm more and more convinced this is The Bad Place.