Review of Let the Right One In (2008) by Mister F — 25 Nov 2012

The Swedish Let the Right One In is a stunningly original, powerful and genre-defying vampire movie. It isn't often that you see a film as hauntingly atmospheric, poetically subtle and achingly beautiful as this one. Based on the Swedish novel of the same name.

The plot follows an androgynous, extremely pale boy named Oskar who is constantly tormented by an awful classmate and his two visibly reluctant henchmen. Oskar doesn't try to do anything about it, but at home he reenacts the latest taunts, word for word and with the added emphasis of a rather intimidating knife. He is also an avid collector of murder-related newspaper stories, and we see him carefully cutting out a recent headline to file it with his impressive database. One night, some people move into the apartment next to Oskar's; an older man proceeds in covering the windows securely with what looks like some weird advertisement or band poster. Oskar soon learns that one of the new tenants is a rather strange girl with curly black hair named Eli who says things like "I guess I've forgotten how to feel cold." And around the same time, a new rash of bizarre murders crops up in the area...

Eli is obviously a vampire, but the old man who she lives with is in charge of getting her blood. Unfortunately, he's humorously incompetent at it, and kills people in open clearings only to leave behind the blood when fleeing from the scene. This forces Eli to go out and get her own blood. All the while, she is getting more and more acquainted with the naive Oskar, who senses that something is up with Eli but really doesn't care. Eventually, he actually does discover Eli's true nature: instead of being repelled, Oskar just wants to dutifully protect her from revenge-seeking townspeople and continue to go steady. Their relationship is entirely believable and strikingly beautiful. It essentially boils down to mutual trust and protection, and makes for a fascinating character study of two lonely outcasts.

This really is a gorgeous cinematic achievement. The subdued, melancholy color scheme and flawless art-house cinematography create an atmosphere that is at once calm and uncomfortable. There are stunningly composed shots of cats leaping wildly on flailing limbs, bed-ridden bodies spontaneously bursting into flames and a decapitated head descending silently into tranquil water. The violence, necessary to the plot, is never in your face, and is simply as quiet and subtle as the rest of the film. The story is totally engrossing all the way through and the acting, especially that of the two young leads, is delivered with the upmost sincerity and nuance. All of the kids are completely detached from the mostly oblivious adult figures, who do nothing to stop the various injustices splashed across the screen.

Let the Right One In is not even so much a horror movie as it is a mesmerizing, disquieting dream sequence. This is basically a film that you can't help but become emotionally attached to and watch over and over. And Oskar, with his insanely pallid complexion, looks more like a vampire than Eli does.