Directed by: Tomas Alfredson Starring: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson
Running Time: 1h 55min
Spooky, enthralling, and everything a young teenage vampire romance should be. Let the Right One In does for the vampire genre what Ginger Snaps did for the werewolf film. Playing the premise very real, on a shoestring budget, gives the supernatural element of the genre an immediacy and rawness that makes a believer out of anyone. Focusing on the character of the vampire, and what it would mean for someone bitten at youth, the film situates the story in a realistic setting, filled with real teenage problems. In fact, this is more a film about bullying and fitting in, that just so happens to have a vampire character.
The two young leads are irrepressible in their ability to compel us to watch and root for them. Despite its darkness, the film yearns to be uplifting, even with its stunning, disturbing conclusion that is open to interpretation and mixed emotions. As all vampire films are about love, eroticism, and carnal behaviour, by positioning this one within the age where youth is discovering and uncomfortable with it all, allows for some interesting, unexplored territory.
Thought provoking, suspenseful, and eerily paced, Let the Right One In is a refreshing take on a genre that has had its fair share of attention and become somewhat tired and overblown. Instead, this treatment is like a "Year One" take, more akin to classic Vampire lore and film, than modern goth lite vampire chic. Definitely a film that will stick in your mind.
Grade: A-
Spooky, enthralling, and everything a young teenage vampire romance should be. Let the Right One In does for the vampire genre what Ginger Snaps did for the werewolf film. Playing the premise very real, on a shoestring budget, gives the supernatural element of the genre an immediacy and rawness that makes a believer out of anyone. Focusing on the character of the vampire, and what it would mean for someone bitten at youth, the film situates the story in a realistic setting, filled with real teenage problems. In fact, this is more a film about bullying and fitting in, that just so happens to have a vampire character.
The two young leads are irrepressible in their ability to compel us to watch and root for them. Despite its darkness, the film yearns to be uplifting, even with its stunning, disturbing conclusion that is open to interpretation and mixed emotions. As all vampire films are about love, eroticism, and carnal behaviour, by positioning this one within the age where youth is discovering and uncomfortable with it all, allows for some interesting, unexplored territory.
Thought provoking, suspenseful, and eerily paced, Let the Right One In is a refreshing take on a genre that has had its fair share of attention and become somewhat tired and overblown. Instead, this treatment is like a "Year One" take, more akin to classic Vampire lore and film, than modern goth lite vampire chic. Definitely a film that will stick in your mind.
Grade: A-
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