The Tough Ones tells a story of two friends who have a hard time finding their place in the society. Antti and Jussi are released from jail. While they were doing time for bank robbery, the third man involved in the robbery, the one who was not convicted, has become a policeman. He tries to help his friends to settle into the small town in Pohjanmaa, but the boys start a black market liquor business instead. The road seems to lead back to the jail.

Konsta has just been released from prison and has returned to his people in the countryside. Past grudges drive him back into the drug business, despite the efforts of those around him to keep him on the right track. In the end, Konsta is forced to confront his past in a surprising way and makes a decision that will determine the rest of his life.