Review of Let the Right One In (2008) by Michael R — 28 Feb 2017

Let the Right One In is, and probably will remain, my favorite vampire movie. It takes an ironically similar plot to Twilight, and instead of giving you a wooden, boring, painfully awkward movie, it gives you a film worth watching. There are even similar scenes, but they are better placed, better acted, better written, and better directed.

It's characters, relationships, and story are actually interesting, realistic, and engaging. It pulls no stops (*cough* PG-13 ratings *cough*) that inhibit it's story-telling, or the horror aspects of vampires (remember those?). It also respects many staples of the vampire genre, and portrays them well using appropriately subtle special effects, and creepy atmosphere. It has a strangeness to it that I find entrancing.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is how you do a vampire movie. I haven't seen the American remake of it (Let Me In), but judging by the trailer, it looks like they took a bit of the magic out of it by overdoing the special effects, and adding too much dialogue. But I suppose if you look at the movies that bank in America, some people really need things spelled out for them. Slowly, and with small words. Explosions help, too.