max-seitz-1990 Set in a small Finnish village near the North pole, a group of men discover what they think is the real Santa Clause. Unbeknownst to them, he is an ancient, evil spirit punishing naughty children. Rare Exports is a dark and clever horror tale with a minimalistic plot, decent performances, and a thrilling atmosphere. Lacking common horror movie tropes, this independent feature shines because of its witty plot and its great use of music to highlight the more thrilling scenes.Overall 7/10 Full review on movie-discourse.blogspot.de

botev1921 No disrespect to the Hollywood holiday crap, but that kind of masterpiece would have never been made in the US and that's the beauty of European cinema. The moment I saw certificate 15 on a movie with little kid on the poster, supposedly about Christmas, I was intrigued and it delivered from start to finish. You won't find the commercial "Coca Cola" Santa in this and you won't get any heart-warming family crap about Christmas - it is dark, intense and full of emotion piece of art that can only be made outside the US. Of course one should not show it to their 7-8 year olds, but while it is being described as a horror by some, it is more of a thriller type of movie, closer to Orphan than Hostel. The acting is superb and Onni Tommila leads a small but exceptionally committed cast, directed to perfection.

Armand bitter story. dark humor. new version of an old story. seductive for the science of mixture. and for a remarkable performance of young Onni Tommila. a film about courage and wise childhood,about adults and their lost of basic signs perception. ironic, almost sarcastic, seductive and clever, it is a good film against its imperfections. and key is courage and science to use a mythology in a different manner. result - a puzzle and a special end. and the interesting fact is to be a Finnish story not only for team or production, script and actors but for its essence. a risky work with smart result. maybe, not exactly a Chrismass movie but useful as a bitter comedy with its own taste.

A_Different_Drummer Some films, even really good films, are like a broken-in pair of jeans, comfy and familiar. In fact, according to psychologists it is the repetitive themes in our favourite films that generate the voltage in our brains which in turn produce the serotonin that makes us enjoy the film experience. OK, you got me, I apologize for the science lesson. But that is the only way I can explain this film which comes literally out of nowhere (Scandanavia?) and begins with the makings of a typical X-mas movie, but before you know it, you are watching a bunch of pleasant everyday people treat old Santa like he just escaped from a Freddy or Jason set. And best of all the movie is slick. Before you even have a chance to start doubting the messages that your eyes are sending to your brain, the director whisks you off into this fantasy and, in spite of the lack of familiarity (see above treatise), the synapses start to spark and the movie becomes good clean fun. And totally unforgettable. (FACTOID: the image of fat Santa in the red suit has no basis in anything. He was drawn that way for a series of Coke ads at the turn of the 20th century, and, heaven protect us from ourselves, that image became iconic and mythic. Personally I prefer the Finnish version.)