Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale

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Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale

R

Released Dec 3, 2010

1h 24m

Holiday

Adventure

Horror

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

89%

Tomatometer

105 Reviews

70%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

A young boy named Pietari (Onni Tommila) and his friend Juuso (Ilmari Järvenpää) think a secret mountain drilling project near their home in northern Finland has uncovered the tomb of Santa Claus. However, this a monstrous, evil Santa, much unlike the cheery St. Nick of legend. When Pietari's father (Jorma Tommila) captures a feral old man (Peeter Jakobi) in his wolf trap, the man may hold the key to why reindeer are being slaughtered and children are disappearing.

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Critics Consensus

Rare Exports is an unexpectedly delightful crossbreed of deadpan comedy and Christmas horror.

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Jim Schembri

The Age (Australia)

[A] deliciously loopy oddball of a film.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 14, 2014

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Eric Kohn

indieWire

The flaws of Rare Export offer an important reminder that looking good on YouTube does not provide qualifications for a bigger screen.

Dec 14, 2014

Full Review

Christine Champ

Film.com

Rare Exports also twists the season's staples with a morbidly merry, tongue-in-cheek sense of humor.

Rated: A-

Dec 14, 2014

Full Review

Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Finds a creepy yet whimsical way to reinvent established holiday lore without sacrificing the expectations of audiences regarding its Christmas connections.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 20, 2023

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Although it has a lot of imagination, the lopsided outcome never balances its elements in a satisfying way.

Rated: 2.5/4

Mar 7, 2023

Full Review

Emily Mackay

NME (New Musical Express)

From a slow and suspenseful start held by the charming Onni Tomilla as Pietari and Jomra Tomilla as his wiry, weathered and taciturn widower father, the brutal thrills ramp up deliciously.

Rated: 4/5

May 25, 2021

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Noah B

It was too weird for me, but I get why others enjoyed it.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/17/24

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Alec B

I love the idea of looking at the darker aspects of the Santa myth, but the movie just never fully realizes its potential.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/05/24

Full Review

Richard L

A surprisingly comfy dark comedy that unfortunately suffers from a lack of budget. A finale where Santa actually has to be defeated would have made it a bit more worthwhile. As it is, it does a great job at raising suspense but is rather lacking on the payoff.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/03/24

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Darla M

This is our family's traditional Christmas eve movie!! We've watched it every year for ten years and it never gets old. Cute story surrounded by surreal horror, great acting, action, and satisfying ending. Like Pietari, we all just want to know we are important. So "Watch your mouth! It's Christmas time. Let's act like it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/26/23

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Logan D

A joint American/British drilling project thinks it has found the tomb of Santa Claus. Instead they've found something much worse. What the heck did dad catch in the wolf pit??? A gem of a find in with tongue in cheek humor mixed with creepy oddities viewed thru the eyes of a child. Heroics and spooky folklore will make this seasonal viewing for me.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/26/23

Full Review

Patricia D

I loved it! Except for the swinging dicks lol. The little boy is adorable, and the adults are delightfully stupid. Definitely a must see for the holiday season.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/23/23

Full Review

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Jalmari Helander

Director

Onni Tommila

Pietari

Jorma Tommila

Rauno

Ilmari Järvenpää

Juuso

Peeter Jakobi

Santa

Tommi Korpela

Aimo

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Synopsis

A young boy named Pietari (Onni Tommila) and his friend Juuso (Ilmari Järvenpää) think a secret mountain drilling project near their home in northern Finland has uncovered the tomb of Santa Claus. However, this a monstrous, evil Santa, much unlike the cheery St. Nick of legend. When Pietari's father (Jorma Tommila) captures a feral old man (Peeter Jakobi) in his wolf trap, the man may hold the key to why reindeer are being slaughtered and children are disappearing.

Director: Jalmari Helander
Producer: Petri Jokiranta, Knut Skoglund
Screenwriter: Jalmari Helander
Distributor: Oscilloscope Pictures
Production Co: Yleisradio
Rating: R (Some Nudity|Language)
Genre: Holiday, Adventure, Horror, Comedy
Original Language: Finnish
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 3, 2010, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 24, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $263.2K
Runtime: 1h 24m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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