Streaming Spotlight: ‘Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale’

Between Amazon, Hulu, Netflix, and Shudder, the world of streaming media can be overwhelming to navigate. While we try to alleviate this by giving you the run down on what new titles are being added each month, that only scratches the surface of the extensive libraries offered. There’s still a vast array of worthy titles from recent years that can be easily overlooked, which is why each month we’ll be shining the spotlight on great streaming titles that might have slipped past your notice or are worthy of a revisit.

Now that it’s December, there is no better time than now to get acquainted with writer/director Jalmari Helander’s 2010 instant holiday classic, currently available on Shudder. While this film sits near the top of requisite holiday viewing lists for anyone who has already seen it, Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale is a quiet underdog still awaiting discovery by many horror fans. It’s an underrated gem that brings the terror and dark humor, while still retaining the spirit of what makes an excellent holiday film.

Set on Christmas Eve, an archeological dig atop the Korvantunturi mountains unearths serious trouble for young Pietari, his father Rauno, and the local community that sits adjacent to the mountain.  The reindeer that the community relies on for survival have been slaughtered, and the children begin disappearing.  Only Pietari’s steadfast belief in Santa Claus can save them.

According to Finnish folklore, Korvantunturi is the home of Joulupukki, or Father Christmas. Think of it as the Finnish version of the North Pole, complete with the toy workshop and little helpers.  The literal translation of Joulupukki is “Christmas goat.” So you can see where I’m going with this.  This is not your cute Coca-Cola Santa Claus, but an earlier version that was much more frightening and punishing of naughty children.  This Santa has a lot more in common with Krampus and was buried in ice long ago to prevent him from eating any more children.  Leave it to the Americans to dig him up.

The nefarious plans of Santa Claus and his creepy helpers takes a while to unfold while the relationship between Pietari and his father takes center stage.  Rauno is a man of few words, internalizing the pain of his wife’s passing while struggling to provide and raise Pietari as a single parent.  It’s clear that the wife was the bridge between the father and son, who now have no idea how to relate to one another.  It’s this contrast of responsible practicality versus youthful dreamer that adds an emotional friction and depth to the narrative.  It also slows down the pacing of an already brief running time, but it’s crucial to what makes this film successful.

This is the perfect holiday film that has it all; reindeer slaughter, gingerbread, snow, pitiful Christmas trees, advent calendars, Santa Claus’ creepy helpers, and a lot of old man full frontal.  Which is indicative of just how humorous this film can get. Well-acted, beautifully shot, great suspense, and a relatable story with a biting sense of humor all makes this one fun R-rated ride that shouldn’t be missed. There’s also a vast wealth of little details that adds to the film’s mythology, making the film worth of a rewatch.

Then, after you’ve fallen in love, you can watch Helander’s two short films that inspired the full feature: Rare Exports Inc., and The Official Rare Exports Inc. Safety Instructions, both available on Vimeo. Added bonus for physical media lovers: there’s an Easter Egg on movie’s DVD that contains the Rare Exports gingerbread recipe.