The Kid in This Overlooked Christmas Horror Comedy Makes ‘Home Alone’s Kevin Look Like a Wuss

Putting an exciting twist on Christmas is nothing new, but before the likes of it Krampus, Violent nightand Dear Santa came Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale. From the Finnish director Jalmari Helander, rare exports A comedy horror film that revolves around a young boy named Petari (Oni Tomela) who discovers that there is a drilling operation nearby They discover what they believe is the original Santa Claus. But this isn’t the jolly Saint Nick we know today: Instead, Petari learns that the original Santa was known as Golobokki and IA monster who steals children and could wreak havoc on the world if released.

The absurdity of seeing this little boy setting traps and controlling adults while trying to fend off Santa and his helpers is the crux of the problem. rare exports Humor however The horror side of things is equally good; Petari’s fears were justified, as some of the adults around him discovered too late. And it’s Petari’s character that really sells the film; He’s young enough to believe in strange things but treats them with the cruelty of an adult, and the juxtaposition of the two is so much fun to watch.

Petari is the miniature action hero in “Rare Exports”

It wasn’t just that rare exports Years before the “Scary Christmas” movies of the past few years, however It also features a unique spin on the resourceful child protagonist Alone at homeKevin McAllister. Petari is a young boy who first believes in the modern version of Santa Claus, then soon shifts his faith to the more traditional and darker version, Golobokki. This kind of child-like belief is typical of many Christmas movies – but… Pietari is anything but typical. Instead of being naive and gullible, he takes the supernatural events in the film very seriously, and immerses himself in reading books about the myths and legends about the original Santa. With all the intensity of a hard-boiled detective.

Related to

Killer Santa Claus: When “he knows if you’re bad or good” takes on a whole new meaning

He doesn’t leave behind coal, he leaves behind a number of bodies.

For Petari, the existence of Joulupukki and his helpers is merely an established fact, and it is a joy to watch and hear him discuss fantastical things like Santa and elves with such gravity; This is exacerbated by the fact that things are so dangerous that he needs to carry a gun, but the gun is comically as big as he is. still, His age and physical stature do not prevent Petari from being a complete champion when needed. He’s the one who ends up giving orders to the adults when the situation becomes more dangerous, and puts himself in the most dangerous situation to save everyone from the wrath of Santa and his helpers, hanging from a helicopter during the climactic rescue scene.

‘Rare Exports’ made Santa terrifying years before ‘Krampus’

rare exports May rely on the absurdity of the situation for humor, But this does not mean that he is stingy with concerns. Like 2015 Krampus, rare exports Uses traditional European folklore To turn your Christmas holiday into something quirky. but rare exports Not only does it take place five years ago, but it’s also set in the country Joulupukki is from; One alternate international title even includes “From the Original Land of Santa Claus.” When Petari searches for the “truth” about Goluboki, some of his books show the character sitting atop a throne of skulls, devouring reindeer, kidnapping naughty children, flogging them with blood, and sometimes even eating them.

Although there is not a great deal of violence shown on screen, when the reindeer are slaughtered and Petari finds bare footprints in the snow, as described in his books, Well-established folklore helps set the tone of apocalyptic anticipation. Obviously, if these parts of the mythology are true, then so must the more violent aspects. If Petare doesn’t stop Santa, He and all the other children in town are doomed. Things escalate when Petari’s father and his friends get their hands on a possible Golobokki/Santa, confirming Petari’s worst suspicions and… Tearing up the public’s ideas of a fun, happy Santa. The creature they capture looks mostly humanoid, but is very thin, smells disgusting, is covered in filth, and has eyes that sometimes glow gold.

Then, in a horrific and shocking moment, the creature bit off the ear of one of the adults. And if one of these creatures is that scary, imagine if there was a whole herd of them, dragging people into the darkness and hacking heads open with pickaxes. See dozens of what it looks like Dirty old men running completely naked through the snow, Searching for victims is absurdly disturbing; A mixture of sensitivities that rare exports Delivers consistently well. This sequence is part of the third act reveal that is best experienced without prior knowledge, so no spoilers here. Suffice it to say The ending is where Helander’s humor reaches its peakand it’s quite a joy to get there. rare exports is a really funny new twist on holiday horror that you shouldn’t miss.

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale Available to stream in the US on Peacock.

Watch the peacock

Your changes have been saved

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale

release date

October 3, 2010

exit

Jalmari Helander

He slanders

Oni Tuomela, Jorma Tuomela, Per Christian Elefsen, Tommy Korpela, Rauno Juvonen

Operating time

82 minutes

The book

Jalmari Helander