Let The Right One In – 2009

June 30, 2010 by JT
Filed under Film Reviews

It seems that the powers that be in Hollywood have got their way, and a remake of Let The Right One In to be called Let Me In has pretty much got the green light. It’s a shame as with most horror remakes they’re bound to balls it up one way or another.

The Swedish original is simply brilliant, low budget and beautifully shot it’s a heartwarming slightly disturbing story of a young boy called Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) who falls in love with a young girl called Eli (Lina Leandersson). Eli it turns out is a vampire, and she helps Oskar to stand up from himself and fight back against the school bullies who hound him on a daily basis. The acting is exceptional especially seeing it is a extremely young cast.

It doesn’t really follow the stereotypical vampire flick, Eli never shows her fangs, there is no garlic and no cross. Only one of her victims who survives is destroyed by light, she is like any normal 12-year old girl on the outside, on the inside she’s something all the more sinister. The film also looks at the repercussions of the aged old fable of what happens if you openly let a vampire in or what happens if they cross the line anyway.

What I love about this film, set against the backdrop of a Swedish 80s winter, is the blossoming friendship between the pair. It’s not apparent whether Eli is luring in Oskar for her next meal or if in fact she has a softer side for him. It is the growing relationship that they both have, from Eli showing Oskar how to complete a Rubik’s cube puzzle to Oskar asking Eli to go steady with him. Going steady? Something that the film Twilight has taken to a whole new level.

What is clear, is that both would go to great lengths for each other, and with an ending that is both gruesome and more horrifying than any horror film I have seen in a while it is going to leave a lasting impression on your mind for some time to come. The is no question that Let The Right One In is a must see!

View the Trailer