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Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
Rare Exports
2010 83 min Finland, France, Norway, Sweden R 18+
★6.9
Fantasy, Horror
Director: Jalmari Helander
🎭 Based on
«Rare Exports, Inc.»
Trailers
EN
EN
EN
EN
Teaser
Description
Young Pietari lives with his reindeer-herding father in arctic Finland. On the eve of Christmas, a nearby excavation makes a frightening discovery and an evil Santa Claus is unleashed…
US Gross:
$236,347
Starring
Jorma Tommila
Actor
Onni Tommila
Actor
Peeter Jakobi
Actor
Awards
Saturn Awards 2011
— Best International Feature Film
Key opinion
Rare Exports is a polarizing Nordic dark comedy that subverts traditional holiday myths by depicting Santa Claus as a malevolent, predatory entity. While the film is praised for its atmospheric cinematography and unique premise, viewers are deeply divided over its uneven tone, sluggish pacing, and the failure to fully commit to either horror or family-friendly fantasy.
| Cinematography | The cinematography effectively captures the stark, icy beauty of the Lapland landscapes. | |
| Acting | Onni Tommila provides a noteworthy performance that serves as the film's emotional center. | |
| Originality | The film fails to live up to its marketing as a horror film, offering little in terms of genuine scares or intense gore. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay is viewed as disjointed, struggling to balance its disparate genre elements of satire, dark fantasy, and family drama. | |
| Pacing | Opinions on the film's pacing are split; some find the slow-burn approach atmospheric, while others find the first half tedious and empty. | |
| Humor | The dark humor is divisive, with some audiences finding it a sharp, ironic take on festive tropes, while others find it confusing or lacking in actual wit. |