As much as I love horror (even awesomely-bad horror), I’ve never really developed much of an affinity for vampire movies. Most of the time they are too cliched and ridiculous for even my forgiving tastes. Even so, I couldn’t resist checking out the unbelievably well-received Swedish vampire flick, Let the Right One In.
Set in 1982 and based on John Ajvide Lindqvist’s best selling novel, the story centers on Oskar, a small, quiet boy who is recipient of frequent bullying by his classmates. One night, while hanging out in the courtyard of his apartment complex, Oskar encounters a young girl, Eli, with pale skin and a wardrobe that seems woefully inappropriate for Sweden’s frigid winter climate. Though their initial encounters are standoffish (Eli repeatedly questions Oskar about his motives, “If I weren’t a girl, would you like me anyway?”), the two eventually form a bond.
I don’t think I’m spoiling anything when I tell you that we quickly learn that Eli is in fact a vampire. The older man she lives with–who we are initially led to believe is her father–seems to be little more than her glorified errand boy, “hunting” when she is thirsty and disposing of her “leftovers” when she must catch her own food. Although she is obviously a very deadly creature whose very existence depends on the death of others, we almost never feel like Oskar is in danger around her. That dynamic represents a good part of where the beauty of Let the Right One In comes from, this bizarre, yet touching friendship that forms between Oskar and Eli, who both are unable to make any other significant connections in their lives.
To classify Let The Right One In as just another horror movie really doesn’t do it justice. There are elements of horror (and Tomas Alfredson does a nice job using the bleak, muted Scandinavian setting to create suspense), but the main questions of the work don’t center on who will survive and who won’t–as in most horror films. Instead, we wonder about the possible outcomes of this relationship between a young boy and a vampire who has looked 12-years old for God knows how long. This ties in to one of my favorite things about Alfredson’s work here, which is that he leaves the ending open to interpretation. In fact, in the “Behind the Scenes” feature on the DVD, he discusses how the film’s ending can be justifiably seen as either happy or quite depressing.
Outside of Alfredson, I think both stars of the film deserve a great deal of credit. Kåre Hedebrant (don’t ask me to pronounce that) shows great emotional depth as Oskar, a pretty typical 12-year old boy thrown into a bizarre situation. His counterpart, Lina Leandersson, is similarly excellent as Eli, managing to simultaneously convey both the natural innocence associated with her character’s appearance and a subtle menace which hides just below the surface.
Overall, Let the Right One In is a outstandingly crafted film that will be enjoyed by most audiences. If you’re squeamish and concerned about gore, be aware that there are a few somewhat graphic scenes, but nothing too bad. If you’re willing to turn your head away for a few seconds every once in a while, you should still really enjoy this film. One final recommendation: Before you start watching the movie, make sure you adjust the settings to Swedish audio with English subtitles. My girlfriend and I just selected “Play movie” and were subjected to some unsurprisingly terrible English dubbing.
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Great movie! I totally called the ending but still liked it. Love the new layout too David.
On the first viewing, I was pretty lukewarm for the movie. I read many geek reviews praising the wonders in this movie, but it just didn’t hit me in the same way. But the days and weeks after that first viewing, it started to grow on me. It was wonderfully crafted, that was never in doubt, it’s as you say the “possible outcomes of this relationship” that drew the intrigue for me. I wonder how this movie would play out for a mainstream American audience. Look at what we produce with tripe like Twilight; there’s just zero comparison. Anyhow, great review!
Everything in this movie was excellent! The kids are really great in their characters, the relationship between them is weird and touching, the cinematography is beautiful, I really enjoyed it!