Review of Let the Right One In (2008) by Russell G — 04 Nov 2015

This is actually a beautiful, albeit dark and dysfunctional romance. The young age of the characters may shock and disturb some people, but it is grimly honest and very realistic in many ways. It takes a while to flesh itself out, but a story about a lonely outcast boy develops into a story of friendship, love, and vampires.

It is romance and a drama primarily and a horror movie second. The vampire attacks and killing are not the focus. The vampire lure here supports the movie's focus, which is the development of two young characters.

The desolate and icy Swedish winter setting is stark, colorless and empty. Even daytime scenes at the beginning seem appropriately unnerving. That tension remains constant throughout the film thanks to the discretion and good direction of Tomas Alfredson.

Kare Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson, the main characters, nail the off-putting in their behavior and physical appearance to make their characters fit the story. The subject matter is dark and has strong themes of sexuality but the filmmakers bravely remained true to the emotional story without candy coating it.

These are kids just beginning to transition to adolescence, making the nature of their relationship important to the story. It is a well-written dramatic story of two outsiders with hints of mystery, some gruesome violence, and the ugliness of the world in general.

At the same time, there is also beautiful companionship and heart. I highly recommend it, but it is not for the highly conservative crowd or for people looking for thrills of a murderous killing spree.