Review of Let Me In (2010) by Ryland D — 29 Aug 2012

Having watched, and loved, the original Swedish film âLet the Right One Inâ? (2008); it was with much trepidation I turned on this American remake. In fact, I have to say that when I watched âLet the Right One Inâ? back in 2010, it only came second in my top ten because a certain film called âInceptionâ? happened to be released that year. But I digress; I was in fear that the studio would dumb it down so much that it wouldnâ(TM)t have the same haunting quality of the original. Was I right? Well, Iâ(TM)ll tell you after this very brief summary.

Twelve year old Owen is a loner; he spends much of his time in the courtyard of the apartment block he lives in with his mum. Some boys at school, Kenny, Mark and Donald (particularly Kenny) take great delight in bullying and tormenting him. One day a girl, Abby, moves into the apartment next door with her â~Fatherâ(TM). They meet in the courtyard and, after a bit of an awkward start, begin to become friends. Abby has a secret though and when Owen finds out about it he is left with a dilemma. I will leave it there, although Iâ(TM)ve given less away here than they do in the trailer.

Very well made with the same haunting quality of the original; they got the look and feel of it just right. The performances were all excellent as well; particularly the two young leads; Kodi Smit-McPhee as Owen and Chloë Grace Moretz as Abby. They were ably supported by; Richard Jenkins as The Father, Elias Koteas as The Policeman, Dylan Minnette as Jack and Cara Buono as Owenâ(TM)s Mother.

I find it hard to talk about this film without drawing comparisons with the original. I guess if I hadnâ(TM)t seen, and fallen in love with the original, I would have thought this was quite brilliant. The trouble is, itâ(TM)s almost shot-for-shot the same film; with some obvious references changed. I noticed also that it was set in the 1980â(TM)s also, giving scope for a sequel with Owen as a grown-up. So how does it compare; well I must say I preferred the mystery of the original and it will always be my favourite version. However, I still found this one perfectly watchable and have no problem in deeming it Highly Recommended if youâ(TM)re not lucky enough to have seen the original⦠Otherwise.

SteelMonsterâ(TM)s verdict: RECOMMENDED.

My score: 7.5/10.