Let The Right One In

9.2/10 Dropps

Genre: Art House & International, Drama, Horror
Rated: R
Running Time: 1 hr. 54 min.
In Theaters: Jan 26, 2008 Wide
Box Office: $1.9M
Directed By: Tomas Alfredson
Written By: John Ajvide Lindqvist

Okay, we get it; Vampire films are a big right now. Hell, anything dealing
with “vampires” is big right now, and unfortunately an easy buck for Hollywood
big wigs. A movie like Twilight and shows like Vampire Diaries and True Blood
(although True Blood is actually pretty good), have drained this genre to death (pun
intended) and have left real Vampire fans thirsty for something raw and worthy of
the nine dollars it takes to see a film these days. Don’t fret though fang fans; foreign
films are doing this cult genre justice. 2009’s South Korean gem Thirst, was a step in
the right direction, but the reason for this review isn’t Thirst (although you should
check it out), it’s Sweden’s 2008 vampire masterpiece LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (Låt
den Rätte Komma In).

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN follows Oskar, a bullied 12-year-old living in Blackberg,
a suburb of Stockholm in 1982. Away from school, where he is assaulted daily by
a trio of his classmates, Oskar fantasizes of revenge against his assailants. When
Eli, a strange young “girl,” moves into Oskar’s building he takes the opportunity
to befriend her. Eli’s strange behavior, and frequent appearances at night lead to
an interesting friendship, and eventual discovery of Eli’s true self. The newfound
companionship leads to Oskar confronting his classmates and opening up to
someone with a haunting past and an unnatural thirst.

First thing to address here is the acting. Often times, although there are always
exceptions, child actors’ carrying a film generally means a children’s movie. That is
not the case here; LET THE RIGHT ONE IN is a dark and gritty film with an intended
mature audience. Oskar, played by Kare Hedebrant , is a lonely, disturbed child who
is executed beautifully by Kare. Real emotions, but he still carries that child like
sense of innocence and wonder. Eli, played by Lina Leandersson does a fantastic
job of enveloping a role which demands she falls into a role of and adult in a child’s
body, playing at an idea of being stuck in a situation demanding understanding and
questioning sexuality.

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN plays at several different ideas coated with heavy
undertones. Directed by Tomas Alfredson, and based on the book of the same title,
this film was executed beautifully. The darkness of the films content is contrasted
beautifully with white landscape of Sweden’s winter. Alfredson was careful not to
overplay ideas, and to leave the audience curious. LTROI is dark, bloody, beautiful
horror film; everything you hope for in a Vampire film.

With the Americanized version, LET ME IN, coming out this Friday, it is definitely
worth your time to rent, download, borrow or steal (not that we here at The Dropp
encourage all those choices) before you check out the re-make. It IS worth your
time. -Hunter Freiburg