Let the Right One In

Original Title: Låt den Rätte Komma In
Release date: October 24, 2008
Director: Tomas Alfredson
Novel by: John Ajvide Lindqvist
Screenplay by: John Ajvide Lindqvist
Cast: Lina Leandersson, Kåre Hedebrant, Per Ragnar, Peter Carlberg, Ika Nord, Mikael Rahm, Karl-Robert Lindgren

Skinny blond kid living in snow-covered Swedish apartment complex fantasizes about giving his local schoolyard bullies their well earned comeuppance.

Skinny pale girl moves in next door. Only comes out at night. Has a creepy inept father figure/guardian.

Boy meets Girl. People die. Bonds are formed. Fangs are unsheathed.

Okay, so there’s no way around it, this is a vampire movie… but it’s a really good one, seriously! It was made for Swedes by Swedes, based on a Swedish novel and adapted by the author, plus blood on snow looks
wicked cool. Flick has cool to spare.

It’s very unique to the genre, or sub genre — are vampire movies at this point their own genre? — in that not only is it actually good, a bragging right that very few of these types of movies can claim, but it also manages to stay within the confines of what most people expect out of a vampire movie (biting, aversion to sunlight) while also working as a sort of coming of age (or never coming of age, if you like) character drama. It has a creepy horror vibe, but it’s also hopeful and like any good vampire movie it has that tragic lost humanity aspect, and sort of a “Peter Pan never grows old” gone horribly wrong deal as well.

An American remake is supposedly in the works, much to the chagrin of the Swedish director of the film, but I urge you to check it out if you get the chance, as it is a real treat for we hopeless and constantly disappointed few that rarely get to indulge our sweet tooth on such a rare bloody treat.

Rating: ★★★★½ 

by Kyle Finnegan

16 Responses

  1. Camiele White says:

    I really wanted to read this book and then see this film. The State-side version is, no doubt, subpar. But, what can ya do? Seeing as the only thing I know the Swedes for is tennis, this’ll be fun to look into.

    • amy says:

      @Camiele White, I’ve seen this film on the big screen over 5 times – I kid you not. LOL I understand why some people liked Let Me In more than Let the Right One in, but to me Let Me In took the silences and small things to make it big. The small things and silences is what I liked about this movie xD

    • julili says:

      @Camiele White, the book is so good. So amazing, I read it on one go. Sadly I didn’t think the Swedish movie did the book justice but I’m a proud Swede!

  2. julili says:

    Funny little trivia: I used to live in the same address where the book/movie takes place.

  3. Rodrigo says:

    Just saw this film a few minutes ago. Enjoyed it a lot. I really loved the chemistry between Oskar and Eli, very cool and engaging. :)

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