That’s the premise of Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale. Set in a tiny settlement in the far north of Finland, the protagonist is Pietari, a small nervous boy. He still believes in Santa, much to the amusement of his more streetwise friend Juuso. But his belief means he’s the only one who can see what’s happening. Nobody else understands why all the reindeer, who the town were relying on for money and food, have been slaughtered, or why children are starting to go missing¦
Rare Exports takes this unlikely premise and goes sprinting off with it for all its worth. In many places it plays like a slasher flick. There are lots of tense moments where you just know something bad is about to happen and are watching between your fingers. The only difference is, instead of Freddy or Jason, it’s Santa lurking offscreen. However, it is Christmas, so the movie holds off on the gore (though it must have been tempting at times).
As well as that, it’s quite a touching story as Pietari bonds with his father. To begin, Pietari is a bit of a wimpy kid, and his dad a slightly distant, tough northerner. Pietari finds his courage and he and his father bond as they join forces to, well, take out Father Christmas. Both Onni Tomila as Pietari and Jorma Tomila as his father are really good.
As you may have guessed, Rare Exports doesn’t take itself especially seriously and with a running time of just 72 minutes, it certainly doesn’t outstay its welcome.
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale: Ranked 16th All Time Christmas Films
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