X
- 2010
- R
- Oscilloscope Pictures
- 1 h 24 m
- 2010
- R
- Oscilloscope Pictures
- 1 h 24 m
Summary It's the eve of Christmas in northern Finland, and an 'archeological' dig has just unearthed the real Santa Claus. But this particular Santa isn’t the one you want coming to town. When the local children begin mysteriously disappearing, young Pietari and his father Rauno, a reindeer hunter by trade, capture the mythological being and att...
Directed By: Jalmari Helander
- 2010
- R
- Oscilloscope Pictures
- 1 h 24 m
- 2010
- R
- Oscilloscope Pictures
- 1 h 24 m
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
71
7.1
Where to Watch
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Summary It's the eve of Christmas in northern Finland, and an 'archeological' dig has just unearthed the real Santa Claus. But this particular Santa isn’t the one you want coming to town. When the local children begin mysteriously disappearing, young Pietari and his father Rauno, a reindeer hunter by trade, capture the mythological being and att...
Directed By: Jalmari Helander
Where to Watch
Coming Soon
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 18 Critic Reviews
71
83% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
17% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 18 Critic Reviews
71
83% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
17% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Dec 11, 2010
A fiendishly entertaining Christmas yarn rooted in Northern European legend and lore, complete with a not-so-jolly old St. Nick informed more by the Brothers Grimm than Norman Rockwell.
Dec 9, 2010
What unfolds is a dark comic thriller and action-hero send-up, a strange alloy of daredevil helicopter maneuvers and night of the living elves. Captured in atmospheric widescreen camerawork, the end-of-the-world frozen landscape (actually Norway) is spectacular and spooky.
By Sheri Linden FULL REVIEW
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 45 User Ratings
7.1
64% Positive
29 Ratings
29 Ratings
36% Mixed
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 45 User Ratings
7.1
64% Positive
29 Ratings
29 Ratings
36% Mixed
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Dec 24, 2020
really good finnish movie you should watch this because it is really good winter time movie
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Dec 30, 2017
It is just your average SF, semi-horror, quirky Christmas suspense story set in the wilds of Finland. It draws on old Northern European legends of an ominous Santa Claus figure who punishes and frightens children. Young Pietari lives with his dad in a chilly little mountain farmstead. An international mining company is digging an enormous tunnel into a nearby mountain and succeed in waking up a bunch of frozen krampuses. Then things start breaking loose, as our young hero's dad succeeds in trapping one of the geezers and, with some help from his friends, tries to hold him for ransom. Then the head krampus begins building a big hive-like thing and drawing his followers to him. But that is just the plot - it excels as a visual experience. Very well shot, a good-looking flick.
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Dec 25, 2010
To be clear: Despite the holiday flavor, and despite the pint-sized hero, this is no kids' movie. There is swearing. There is blood. There is an army of 180 very nude Santas coursing through the snow. That's not the kind of thing Frank Capra ever could have dreamed of -- and that change of pace is exactly what makes Rare Exports a rare, if unexpected, holiday treat.
Dec 7, 2010
This oddball tale of life on a snowy mountainside is consistently upbeat and surprising, with action intensity that stays sturdily at "Goonies" level.
Dec 6, 2010
It isn't recommended for impressionable children, who might well experience nightmares. But for grown-ups looking for an alternative to the annual onslaught of ho-ho-ho Christmas tales, the visually pleasing oddity is just the thing, even if it does slow down in its middle portion before picking up again.
Dec 21, 2010
Finnish filmmaker Jalmari Helander's dark-comic expansion on his cult Internet shorts, in which he crafts a back story for Santa that's as black as stocking coal.
Jan 31, 2013
A group of archaeologists have uncovered the world's best kept secret hidden deep within the Korvatunturi mountains, a being of such ancient and terrifying evil that it had to be locked away for centuries in an icy tomb beneath the earth. But now, Santa has been released, and it is up three of the town's trappers and their brave young boy to stop the creature before it can wreak its bloody vengeance on all of the Earth's children! RARE EXPORTS met with immediate success upon its initial release in 2010, gathering the support of cineasts world-wide as "an instant Christmas classic." Ancient lore mixes with modern humor as director Jalmari Helander explores the darker side of the Christmas tradition. Helander tells this whimsical fairytale with a wink, allowing the twisted humor to flow naturally from his characters as they approach the feral Santa Claus with utter apprehension. Onni Tommila gives a heartfelt and endearing performance as Pietari, who passes easily through the rites of manhood as he conquers his childhood fears in order to save his friends. The only misstep falls on the rushed and gimmicky finale, which breaks away from the slow and deliberate pacing while dispelling much of the film's magic for a few cheap laughs. RARE EXPORTS is a complete departure from any other holiday-themed horror film that will surely be revisited for many years to come.
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Dec 19, 2015
It's certainly a unique Christmas film. We get a very different take on Santa here. It's a Christmas adventure-horror flick with light doses of humor and a fantasy vibe. The results are quite entertaining. The movie's biggest strength is in it's young lead Onni Tommila. He maybe young, but he proves to be just as talented as the rest of the adult cast. He fits the hero role well despite his young age. The only thing the movie is missing to fully bring it's concept to life is a bit more in the excitement department. It's lacking in action or real tense moments. A final showdown of some sort would have been appreciated. Yet, it's hard to complain when this fantasy-horror is so teeming with imagination. The knowing winks with some well included humor are also appreciated. All in all it's just an entertaining watch that does something out of the ordinary for Christmas films.
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Dec 9, 2011
This film sounded more interesting than it really was. I went through the entire movie waiting for something even remotely interesting to happen, but it never did. The first part of the film is extremely boring, and the second half is just average. The problem here is that the origin of this evil, ancient Santa is never fully realized; hell, you never even actually see him. This movie is comparable to having intercourse and having to stop before you get a chance to climax. It's a real shame, too, because the premise was very interesing, so it's a real bummer the movie is such a bore.
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Production Company
- Cinet
- Pomor Film
- Love Streams Productions
- Agnès b. Productions
- Davaj Film
- FilmCamp
- Filmpool Nord
- Kinology
- Yleisradio (YLE)
Release Date Dec 3, 2010
Duration 1 h 24 m
Rating R
Tagline This Christmas everyone will believe in Santa Claus
Website http://www.rareexportsmovie.com/
Awards
Jussi Awards
• 6 Wins & 7 Nominations
Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival
• 4 Wins & 4 Nominations
Locarno Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
