You better hope this version of Santa can’t see you when you’re sleeping…
Santa Claus is usually portrayed as a jolly fat man who loves children everywhere, rewarding all the good little boys and girls with their hearts’ desires and punishing the naughty kids with lumps of coal. However, an upcoming Holiday Season film eschews this personification in lieu of what is quite possibly the most unsettling and creepy version of St. Nick to make it into movie theaters. For your viewing … pleasure … I give you the trailer for Rare Exports.
The movie is by Jalmari Helander, based on his Rare Exports series of short films. The plot revolves around how an archaeological expedition ends up freeing the original, evil, Santa – whom all the legends are based on – from a frozen mountain prison. Once freed, this Santa is responsible for slaughtered herds of reindeer, child abductions, and other suitably over-the-top horror movie behavior.
If you’ve got some hesitations about the film based on this description, that’s understandable. However, it’s apparently pretty good, according to Variety’s review:
By playing it straight, the ultra-serious tone captures all the stereotypes of the genre while gently poking fun at the conventions, so laughs go hand-in-hand with a genuine creepiness. Elements may frighten small children: Santa (Peeter Jakobi) has a truly evil mien, and nasty elves, played by naked elderly men, are more likely to torment kiddies than give them gifts.
The movie’s being billed as a horror/comedy, though the trailer doesn’t portray the comedy quite as much as one might expect. Rare Exports is set for a December 3rd release, though just how wide that release will be remains to be seen.
Source: Official Site
