Let the Right One In

  At the end of October temperatures where I lived dropped pretty dramatically. My sinuses were not happy, but it did provide a great aesthetic to watch this extremely chilly movie.

Let the Right One In was written by John Alvide Lindqvist (Handling the Undead) and directed by Tomas Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and was based on Lindqvist’s novel of the same name. Let the Right One In was made on a budget of 29 million Swedish krona ($4.5 million), made $49,295 upon a limited release, and went on to make $11,227,336 worldwide. Let the Right One In was released on October 24th, 2008 and received critical acclaim. In 2010 an American remake was released under the title Let Me In.

Let the Right One In follows Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant, Amors Baller), a young social outcast, and his burgeoning romance with his new neighbor Eli (Lina Leandersson, The Arbiter) who reveals herself to be a vampire.

Let the Right One In is a stunning work of art. The two young stars have an easy chemistry, and Leandersson in particular brings a lot of pathos to her role of someone far older than her appearance would suggest. Her delivery of the line “I’ve been twelve for a long time” tells us so much about her. The violence of her lifestyle contrasts nicely with her subdued nature. Lindqvist removes all of the crutches that tortured vampires are often given, she can’t live on animal blood and the blood she drinks must be fresh. Being forced to kill to survive makes the tragedy of her nature even more poignant.

Alfredson’s direction is lovely. The natural climate of northern Sweden does a lot of the heavy lifting here and Alfedson wisely shows off that landscape. The film is cold and it contrasts nicely with the warmth of the relationship between Eli and Oskar. 

Despite the YA trappings of the young love portrayed on the screen, the film does not pull its punches. It doesn’t shy away from how horrible the bullying inflicted upon Oskar is, nor the effect it has on him. Eli’s gruesome disposal of the bullies at the end of the episode is shocking, but inevitable.

Let the Right One In is a beautiful and violent examination of young love, isolation, and loneliness. It’s just as often poignant as it is horrifying. It comes highly recommended.

Rating: 4 frozen tundras out of 5

Other Observations:

• Does the Dog Die? There are several cats injured, but it’s unclear if they die.

• Harrison’s Favorite Scare: The moment when Eli demonstrates what happens if she enters someone’s home uninvited. It’s chilling.

• The film has a lot of subplots. They work well in the novel, but the film wisely trims most of them to make the film flow better.

Next Week: The sequel to both King and Kubrick’s The Shining: Doctor Sleep.