Review of Let Me In (2010) by Filipeneto — 30 Oct 2020

Until very recently, I was unaware of almost everything about Swedish cinema, but I have seen that its a source of good films and I will be more attentive from now on. This film is not Swedish, its North American, but it is a remake of a Swedish film. Personally, I thought it was going to be just another weak and forgettable horror movie. I was surprised by a drama full of atmosphere, mystery and able to get involved. I couldn't ask for anything better!

The story has its charm: its impossible not to sympathize with the protagonist, a pre-adolescent young man, very shy and who is tormented at school by older colleagues. He is a genuinely good boy who suddenly has another girl of his age as a neighbor, with whom he immediately sympathizes despite her reluctance to approach and befriend him. The reluctance lies in the fact that she is a vampire, who kills to eat and knows that its a secret destined to ruin with any attempt to have friends. Despite her predatory nature forcing her to attack and kill, the girl is not bad and we managed to like her too, and the way we empathize with the two characters is the solid basis for the film to work.

The cast is virtually obscured by two great interpretations, which come to us through the young hands of the two protagonists, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Chloe Grace Moretz. The two young actors have shown talent, determination and guts, and the work they do in this film is worthy of meeting with that of many more experienced actors. They embodied their characters so well and created such a positive working chemistry with each other that we forget that it is a film. Besides them, it has good interpretations by Richard Jenkins and Elias Koteas.

Its not the kind of film that stands out for its production values. It is a film that focuses on the story told and the performance of the core cast. Everything else is just to brighten and emphasize, never to replace. Cinematography is good and takes advantage of shadow, cold and light to express the loneliness, emptiness and fragility of the characters, creating an atmosphere of mystery and some latent tension that was very pleasant. The use of CGI and sound and special effects was punctual, truly judicious, but effective, and the sets, as well as the costumes, accentuate the realism of what we are seeing. With two hours, its a film that keeps a very pleasant pace and we hardly feel the time pass. Finally, a word for the good soundtrack, which fulfills its role well.