Review: Rare Exports (Film)

Christmas Eve: Film 4. 12.45am

Back in the summer when I was working on my Finnish Village for my 'It Snows in Hell' zombie game, one of the Finnish guys on Lead Adventure Forum strongly recommend that I get hold of Rare Exports, a Finnish film set in the same region of Finland as my own zombie games. I dutifully followed his advise, but then, because I was decorating the lounge and my Blue-ray player was packed away I never got round to watching it. This week I fancied watching a Christmas movie with my wife, and was about to put 'The Holiday' on again, when I remembered I had this film, still in its cellophane wrap. 

Digging it out I slipped the disk into the player and was immediate immersed in a story set in snow-bound rural Finland. Its a very strange story, built around old Finnish folk stories where Santa was not the guy who brings the good children pressies, but rather a monstrous demon who punishes naughty children by killing them in nasty ways. Now I don't know if this plot is actually based on real folk stories or if it is just a construct to drive the movie, but I think this is a cracking idea for a story. 

The film is nicely shot, with some stunning scenery and is darkly funny in a way that I suspect in uniquely Finnish. The acting is very good, especially the young boy (Onni Tommila) who is very believable and funny. The story moves along a a lively pace, and even though it is in Finnish with subtitles, I found the I got very engaged in the characters. The film has a 15 certificate, and that is probably deserving- it is dark and twisted, but not really a horror movie as such- It probably wont make you jump too much, but it is creepy. 

All in all, if you want an different sort of Christmas Movie, I would highly recommend this one- its should be a cult classic!

Here are my own Finnish survivors from 'It Snows in Hell'