 After "Beauty and the Bastard" was released in Finland, Markus Määttänen, one of the most respected film critics in Finland called Karukoski "The savior of Finnish cinema".In Finland Karukoski is a household name being a regular guest in radio and TV talk shows.He caused a small stir at the Finnish Film Awards in 2009 when he kissed the prime minister of Finland on the cheek when receiving the Audience Award for "Home of the Dark Butterflies".