Review of Let the Right One In (2008) by Dave J — 19 Aug 2012

Tragic love is the best description I could give this movie. When watching this film I would suggest to keep an open mind in the nature of the attraction between Eli and Oskar (For a spoiler explanation, see below). There is more than what meets the eye than your average mutual romantic love. Perhaps it is for the boy, but the "girl" he falls for is not your typical 12 year old. Having read both the screenplay and book, my understanding of the film is perhaps deeper than most of the viewers. For those who are strictly movie watchers, the adaptation is very well done. I would recommend like most movies to watch the subtitled Swedish spoken version. There is always more dialogue that you would miss out on in a English subbed version. As far as cinematography goes it is truly both dark and beautiful. Pain really exudes from the characters and the developing storyline flows naturally from start to finish. The only choppy part is near the end when his mother is distressed which is expanded upon in both the American version and the book. Other than that this movie is flawless and is one of my absolute favorites. This movie is a must see as it has become popular enough to be remade by American filmmakers.

(Spoiler) When we look deep about the true nature of Eli we can see that she is obviously not human and therefore does not have human motives. She does not love Oskar in the same fashion that he loves her and is best described as an animal's plight for survival. She preys on his insecurities and the fact that he has the makings of a serial killer. An example of his potential is the scrapbook he keeps of murders and his infatuation with knives and an imagination to use them on people. This will prove to be effective as the man who has been helping her is beginning to become disillusioned and a potential liability. Perhaps you're wondering if I'm being melodramatic or looking between lines that aren't really there, but I can assure you that between the american and swedish movies and the book, that it is the underlying theme. However my true fascination is the relationship between the old man and the Eli which in the movie is unknown. However in the book he is a disgraced ex-teacher due to pedophilia. This is an astounding understanding of the true nature of not only his relationship to Eli but also Eli's relationship to Oskar. That is the basis of my reasoning that she is in fact not just a monster trying to be human but a predator preying on the weak. What a disturbing revelation, indeed!