Frustrated at the lack of attention she's been getting from her frequently absent reindeer herding husband, Pirita (Mirjami Kuosmanen) visits a shaman, hoping he can work his magic and bring the spark back to her marriage. He not only does that, but goes above and beyond, making her irresistible to any reindeer herder at all. Getting a little to into it, Pirita hijacks the shaman's ritual. Before you know it, she's become a fanged witch, capable of turning into a white reindeer, who begins luring the men of her Arctiv village to their deaths. Alas for her, these townsfolk catch on fast, and she's soon caught up in a Frankensteinian plot that puts her own life in peril. More artsy than scary, "The White Reindeer" harkens back to the silent era with its use of light and shadow, expressive imagery, and an evocative soundtrack. It paints in broad strokes, yes, but at a slim 68 minutes it never outstays its welcome to become boring. It helps too that Mirjami Kuosmanen's performance as the witchified Pirita is actually kind of fun. And with an ending that brings the story of Pirita's marriage to a tragic full circle, "The White Reindeer" can't be accused of squandering its premise. This classic Finnish horror isn't the most exciting movie you'll ever see, but it's still well worth checking out.
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