Just in time for Christmas, here's Michelle's review of Rare Exports
Rare Exports is a breath of fresh air in the cloying glut of
saccharine Christmas movies popular this time of year. It’s one of the few
films to offer a darker take on the Santa Claus mythology and it’s quite clever
and imaginative. Directed by Jalmari Helander, Rare Exports takes place in
Finland, which is the perfect sterile and snowy atmosphere for the whimsical
nature of the film. As such, most of the movie is in Finnish with subtitles but
there are periods where characters speak English as well.
Most of the movie centers on a family who is in the business
of raising reindeer with a precocious little boy being the main protagonist. When
reindeer and eventually children begin to go missing, the boy discovers the
sinister (and rather gruesome) past of Santa Claus and has to stop him from
doing further harm. One of the strongest points of the film is the atmosphere
and the cinematography. Everything has a mystical quality to it and I would
classify it as more of a fantasy-horror hybrid than straight horror. Most of
the gore is implied rather than shown but it still has some pretty scary
moments. There is a lot of dark humor thrown in as well which was a pleasant
surprise. Rare Exports is a methodical film and the middle portion is quite
slow. I do think it could have benefited from having some of the scenes trimmed
down a bit as there isn’t a whole lot of exposition going on until close to the
end of the film.
If you are looking for a palate cleanser to get the sweet
taste of Christmas out of your mouth, then Rare Exports is a treat. It’s an
underrated gem and a quirky take on the cliché Santa Claus we all know and
love. Get a cold glass of egg nog (maybe add a little rum) and give it a
try—just don’t be surprised if you end up on the Naughty List.
-Review by Michelle Kisner