Sint
| Sint | |
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| Directed by | Dick Maas |
| Produced by | Tom de Mol Dick Maas |
| Written by | Dick Maas |
| Starring |
Huub Stapel Egbert Jan Weeber Caro Lenssen Bert Luppes |
| Music by | Dick Maas |
| Cinematography | Guido van Gennep |
| Edited by | Bert Rijkelijkhuizen |
| Distributed by | A-Film |
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Release date
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Running time
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85 minutes |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Language | Dutch |
Sint (released on DVD as Saint in Europe and Saint Nick in the United States) is a 2010 Dutch dark comedy horror film about Sinterklaas, a character comparable to Santa Claus in English-speaking countries. The film was directed by Dick Maas and marked his return to the horror genre, in which he gained acclaim with his debut De Lift (1983) and Amsterdamned (1988). The story distorts the popular traditions of Sinterklaas and portrays him as a ghost who murders large numbers of people when his annual celebration night coincides with a full moon.
On 5 December 1492, a gang led by former bishop Niklas is killed by villagers who refuse to put up with the gang's looting and killing any longer. In years in which the gang's death date coincides with a full moon, they return as murderous ghosts.
The public is unaware of this and annually celebrates the Sinterklaas tradition on 5 December, with adults not believing that Sinterklaas exists but making little children believe that he is benevolent. The Zwarte Pieten are not blackened by soot from chimneys but as a result of the fire in which they were killed. Niklas' crosier has sharp edges and is a weapon. On 5 December Sinterklaas and the Zwarte Pieten do not stand out, as many people are dressed like them for the celebration.
The last time the ghostly gang returned was in 1968. Hundreds of people were killed, including the whole family of a little boy, Goert, who is now a police officer. The authorities downplay the incidents, and they, as well as the Roman Catholic Church, keep the possible involvement of Niklas a secret.
Since there is a full moon on 5 December 2010, Goert is very concerned and recommends forbidding all Sinterklaas activities and increasing surveillance, but he is not taken seriously and sent on leave. As Goert predicts, the gang returns and kills hundreds of people. While the gang is immune to bullets, they are finally chased away by fire.
The film met with mixed reviews with an aggregate score of 50% from 9 reviews (with an average rating of 5.3/10) on Rotten Tomatoes.
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