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Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale 15 rating

Part children's adventure, part macabre seasonal shocker, this darkly humorous concoction defies categorisation.

Fantasy 2010 83 mins

Director: Jalmari Helander

Overview

Santa Claus is coming to town, but unfortunately for the children of this particular Finnish neighbourhood, spreading Christmas cheer is not at the top of his list. In the depths of the Korvatunturi Mountains a team of scientists uncover a secret that has been buried for hundreds of years. When the town's livestock is slaughtered and the children start to go missing, young local boy Pietari begins to realise that this will be a Yuletide like no other, as the time has come to learn the ugly truth about the real Father Christmas.

Originating from two award-winning short films that spawned an online cult phenomenon, director Jalmari Helander's debut feature effectively retains their sinister style, while deftly expanding on his unique vision. With a dash of Tim Burton-esque whimsy and a malevolence that evokes the darkest of fairytales, Rare Exports is overflowing with inventive ideas and crafty twists. Part children's adventure, part macabre seasonal shocker, the film gleefully blends genres to create a darkly humorous concoction that defies categorization, proudly standing alone as a true one of a kind.