RARE EXPORTS - A CHRISTMAS NIGHTMARE
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale – The Anti-Santa
Forget the jolly man in the red suit. In Finland, the original legend of Santa Claus wasn't about gifts and cookies—it was about a terrifying, horned creature that punished the naughty and boiled children alive.
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010) digs up that ancient nightmare and serves it with a side of dark, deadpan humor.
The story follows young Pietari and his father, reindeer hunters living in the snowy Lapland wilderness. An American research team is drilling into the Korvatunturi mountain, believing it to be a massive burial mound.
They aren't looking for gold; they are looking for the real Santa. When they find him, the consequences for the local reindeer herd—and the community—are bloody.
In the wilds of Lapland, some things are better left buried.
From Viral Shorts to Feature Film
What many people don't realize is that this movie started as a series of internet-breaking short films.
Back in 2003, director Jalmari Helander released Rare Exports, Inc., a mockumentary about an elite team of hunters who track, capture, and "process" wild Santas for export across the globe.
The shorts were so bizarre and well-executed that they gained a massive cult following, eventually leading to this 2010 feature film.
While the shorts were pure dark comedy, the movie shifts into a "Spielbergian" adventure style—like The Goonies or E.T., if those movies featured naked, feral old men and ancient demons.
Atmosphere and Practical Effects
What makes Rare Exports work is its absolute commitment to the bit. It never winks at the camera. It treats the existence of a demonic Santa as a grounded, terrifying reality.
The practical effects are top-tier; the "elves" are some of the creepiest creatures in modern horror precisely because they aren't CGI monsters—they are weathered, silent, and viscerally real.
Final Verdict: A Dark Holiday Essential
If you're tired of ho-hum Christmas movies about little pudgy kids who DON'T get eaten by horrific Finnish folk monsters, Rare Exports is a solid alternative and will add a little edge to your next holiday get together.
It’s a movie that remembers that folklore was meant to be frightening. It's worth watching for the atmosphere, the dark laughs, and the best "how to train your Santa" montage ever filmed.
Into folklore and dark fantasy? Check out our Horror Archives.
