Let The Right One In

Original Title: Lat Den Ratte Komma In
Director: Tomas Alfredson
Starring: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar
Rating: 15 (R)
Company: EFTI
Duration: 115 minutes

Your first crush or relationship is usually one filled with sweet innocence and awkwardness, trying to get a grip on what being in love is all about. But what if you found out your partner was a blood hungry vampire? Swedish director Tomas Alfredson explores this odd combination of horror and pubescent romance in the chilling film ‘Let the Right One In’. But is this movie worth of an invite or should it stay out in the cold?

The plot of this film is simplistic but contains all the right elements and understanding of these genres to make an engrossing piece. The film follows Oskar, a bullied 12-year old loner, who dreams of getting revenge against his tormentors. One day, while in the playground, he gets strangely introduced to Eli, a peculiar girl who has moved next door with a strange, older guardian. The relationship begins to blossom as she gives Oskar the strength to face his fears. However, Oskar begins to notice Eli’s strange behaviour and soon discovers that she is in fact a vampire. He becomes puzzled by the whole thing and is faced with a grueling choice to either stay or leave as the town begins to grow suspicious about Eli’s odd mannerisms.

The story itself is very well told, taking its time to express itself with a slow but continually steady pace that matches the movie’s tone. Unlike other vampire films of recent history like ‘Blade’ and ‘Twilight’, ‘Let The Right One In’ stays very loyal to the classic vampire mythology and works to its advantage to make exciting sequences and tense-filled scenes. The romantic flair intertwines flawlessly with the dark sexual undertones and moody Gothic storytelling that vampire tales seem to be attached with. The film does end with some strange unanswered questions that will leave some people a little perplexed but this is only a mild dent in what is a very well constructed piece.

An awkward yet touching moment

The performances from the two child actors, Kåre Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson, were astounding, playing the roles subtly to give the film its needed sense of gritty realism. The onscreen chemistry, especially being children, felt completely natural, which echoes the purity the movie is creating. Each shot in this film has been beautifully organised, almost looking like a series of reflective postcard images. Even the death sequences which are bloody and messy, have a meaningfully artistic aura to the whole thing. The sequence where the just turned vampire woman explodes into a giant ball of fire after being exposed to sunlight will always stick with me as both shocking and beautiful. With all this effort in its construction, the film oozes with an unsettling atmosphere that will both awe and frighten its viewers equally. All of these epic visuals are backed up by a simplistic but endearing score.

‘Let The Right One In’ is a true example of independent foreign cinema opening its doors to a brand new audience and doing so successfully. With a captivating romance story, gorgeous scenery and brutal moments of violence, how can you not let this gem of a film in for your viewing pleasure?

Rating: 5/5
(Top Ranked Blood Sucker)