* * * * *Director
Thomas Alfredson
Cast
Kåre Hedebrant
Lina Leandersson
Per Ragnar
Screenplay
John Ajvide Lindqvist (novel and screenplay)
Certificate
15
Running Time
114min
Ok, first thing I’m going to say is that I will have to stop reviewing great films. All the films I have reviewed this year have been four star and up. I’m going to have to go see something terrible like Good or Crank 2: High Voltage. Anyways back onto the review.
First of all Låt Den Rätte Komma In’s English title is Let The Right One In, for those confused readers out there. It’s the story of a young Swedish boy named Oskar who deals with the common day to day bully. Meanwhile a mysterious girl Eli and her “Grandfather” move in next door. Soon follows a few murders in the neighbourhood in which the bodies had had their blood tapped. Whilst playing with a Rubix cube in the courtyard of his estate Oskar meets Eli, his new neighbour and after some weird goings on in the estate Oskar begin to think that maybe his new friend Eli is a vampire, but the two children develop a close relationship and Eli helps Oskar fight back against his tormentors.
If you are a self confessed horror fan, like myself, then this is the film that you with definitely need to see. It’s a mix between Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth and Twilight. Before I watched the film I didn’t expect it to be a very scary horror film but still brilliant, but I was wrong. Ok it wasn’t as scary as some slasher films but it had its nerve racking parts. Its tense ridden and is very reminiscent of a Stephen King book. Whilst also being very inspirational. The story is slow building as Oskar lives his mundane life in the snow right up until the end and some what conclusion.
My friend who saw it with me (I won’t name names) said that the ending was a rather anti-climatic but I think other wise. Maybe it’s because I’m being over optimistic but after confronting him on it, it seemed that the story ended in a consistent way to how the rest of the film was. Unlike other horror films like Kubrick’s The Shining which starts slow building and ends with a fantastic/crazy finale. Let The right One In ends with a seemingly relaxed feel. But its relaxed, mundane feel reflects Oskar’s life and adds realism to the otherwise strange events. By this I also mean the film doesn’t feel rushed and that they just wanted to get to the killings but build character development, much like Stephen King books.
Let The Right One In simply put is a beautiful film. The cinematography is fantastic and the camera really shows the emptiness and plainness of Oskar’s life. From the perfectly fallen snow to Oskar’s empty apartment, it really shakes things when a vampire moves in next door. And even though you would be scared and intimidated by a bloodsucker their relationship is beautiful because unlike Twilight, Oskar and Eli’s connection isn’t sexual. At parts Oskar’s curiosity may get the better of him but the fact that they’re not hormonal teenagers.
Really there’s not much to say about the acting because it was all really good. And seeing how this was my first Swedish film I have seen, it seemed better then a lot of acting in other Western films. But in short the child actors are brilliant and the adult actors are great. No one seems to steal the show and they all seem to have the relaxed chilled theme that Oskar and Eli have.
Last thought are that if you are a horror fan, who loves foreign films and loved Pans Labyrinth then you are in for a treat. Even if you are looking for a quick fright at the cinema this is a good pick but I warn you that this is not for the squeamish there are some graphic parts that keeps you on edge.
Oliver Hunt
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