The 1952 Finnish film The White Reindeer is a quietly devastating example of folk horror that too often goes overlooked. Although it collected awards at Cannes and the Golden Globes on release, it faded from view until a luxuriously restored 4K print began circulating in 2017. The movie unfolds like a spectral fairy tale across the stark, snowbound fells of Sápmi (frequently called Lapland, a name many Sámi consider derogatory).
In a chilling prologue a prophecy speaks of a Sámi infant destined to become a witch. That child grows into Piriti (Mirjami Kuosmanen), an impulsive woman chafing under the isolation of life as the wife of a itinerant reindeer herder. Seeking relief through a shaman’s ritual, she is instead transformed—whether by misapplied ceremony or by powers within herself—into a vampiric shape-shifter condemned to stalk and prey on men in the guise of a pale white reindeer.
Kuosmanen co-wrote the film with her husband, director and cinematographer Erik Blomberg, and the result marries documentary detail of Sámi life with expressionistic, almost dreamlike visual design. Blomberg’s camera captures the region’s lunar expanses and contrasts them with densely composed Gothic tableaux, conjuring a mood that evokes the silent-era masters while remaining distinctively its own.
Shot in stark black and white and largely on location, The White Reindeer uses the white glare of snow and the deep blacks of night to shape its eerie, liminal world. Scenes shift through the thin, low Arctic light, and the film’s rhythmic, minimal storytelling lets atmosphere and texture carry much of its emotional weight.
Though the plot is straightforward, the film remains deliberately elusive: its time period feels indeterminate, characters behave according to an inner logic that can be mysterious, and individuals often appear adrift within the vast negative space of their surroundings. Significantly, the movie lingers compassionately on the monster’s perspective—Piriti’s emotional turmoil and unbearable longing are at the film’s center, rendered in a performance of restrained, anguished intensity by Kuosmanen.
At just 68 minutes, The White Reindeer can feel unhurried, its pacing measured and spare. Yet the haunting imagery, Kuosmanen’s magnetic lead turn, and the film’s unsettling allegory about how societies can demonize female desire make it linger long after the credits roll.
Where to watch: Stream on Shudder, Tubi, and Hoopla, or rent and buy through Amazon Video. A high-quality Blu-ray edition is also available from Eureka in the U.K., suitable for multi-region players.
Polygon’s annual Halloween Countdown is a 31-day series highlighting standout horror films, shows, and seasonal specials to stream throughout October. You can see the full calendar here.
Source: Polygon
