Let The Right One In (2008)

Let The Right One In (2008) Dir. by Tomas Alfredson

Oscar, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl who turns out to be a vampire.


Finally! A return to vampires that don't sparkle like frickin diamonds in the sunlight! People have been telling me to watch this movie for quite some time now, but I wasn't ready to believe the hype. I am ready now! This movie kicked so much as and gave me hope that there are people out there that still believe in traditional vampires. The vicious animals that burn when sunlight hits them, and can't come in unless you invite them. I loved this frickin movie. Tomas Alfredson and Cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema gave me a movie I could lick my chops at. It was so beautifully filmed that I was left staring in awe with almost every shot. The black and whites really set the mood, as shadows dance across the white snow, and every building exceptionally bland, but in a good way. I would really like to get ahold of the book it is based on by John Ajvide Lindqvist, as he is the same one who adapted it into this amazing script. With a guy hanging a boy from a tree to drain his blood, from the very start the mood is set. The pace of the film continues from there, and each time I thought the movie was about to drag, it picks back up again. Like waves crashing against a coast, beautiful scene after scene come pouring in.




The acting in the movie was exceptionally well, considering the two main actors are twelve year olds. The chemistry between the two was undeniable and never once in the movie did I feel uncomfortable with two twelve year olds falling in love. The relationship was awkward from the start, and that is just how they built it. Even after Oskar finds out that Eli is a vampire, he only spends a short time dwelling on it, and acts more interested than afraid. It is his first true friend, and he would do anything for her, no matter what she is. While the focus is on the two kids for most of the movie, the subplots are brilliant in a way that doesn't take away from the heart of the story. The love and devotion that Hakan showed for Eli lead me to believe that he might not be her father, and might actually be a former lover. Like maybe she didn't want to turn him, so he stayed with her and grew old. He acted jealous when Eli would go see Oskar, yet he stayed devoted to her til the very saddening disturbing end. I could be wrong, but that is just how I felt. I really need to read the book, or they need to make a sequel or prequel. I would be ok with a less exciting sequel as long as I get some answers! I could feel for each of the characters in Let The Right One In, as they were all believable, and relatable. Every person out there that has been bullied can relate to Oskar, and the feeling of not being able to do something about it, and the feeling of being all alone. Many people out there would kill for the companionship he got from Eli. From start to finish I never lost interest in any of the characters, and they were easy to keep track of.




Everything about this movie is absolutely amazing, and I would recommend it to anyone. I will be buying the DVD as soon as I can figure out how to tell the difference in which copy has the fixed subtitles. The pool scene is spine-tinglingly smooth, scaling the outside of a hospital is unbelievably awesome, and the cats will forever make me smile. Great Movie! This might be the best vampire movie I have ever seen.

Entertainment Value :10/10 Wall-climbing Vampires
Cinematic Value: 9/10 Wall-climbing Vampires