DVD REVIEW: Let The Right One In

“Let the Right One In” is a Swedish horror film starring Kare Hederbrant and Lina Leandersson, Direct by Tomas Alfredson.

Though “Let the Right One In” is a vampire movie about two adolescents, it should not be mistakenly compared to the “Twilight” franchise. It is a much tougher film that is definitely not for children. Though there is a romantic element to the plot, there is also a blade of cold Scandinavian steel running through it as well, much more in tune with the grim, nihilistic themes of Bergman (or Murnau’s classic “Nosferatu”) than any romanticized, modern Hollywood version.

That said, it is an outstanding, haunting film that works, both as a horror film with some genuine scares and as a painfully accurate portrait of lonely 12 year old boy in desperate need of a relationship-and finds one, however bizarre and dangerous.

The plot: Oskar (Hederbrant) spends most nights alone, either in his room at his mom’s apartment during the week, or occasionally at his father’s farmhouse on the weekends. Neither parent really wants him (when his father’s gay lover pays a visit, Oskar is quickly brushed aside). At school, Oskar is an outcast and the target of repeated harassment by a merciless bully and two henchmen.

Oskar is clearly in need of a friend. One night, while Oskar is sitting alone outside in the snow, a beautiful young girl named Eli (Leandersson) seemingly appears out of nowhere. She seems a little “off” to Oskar-she as a strange odor, for one thing, as well as a potentially fatal (on the surface) habit of walking around barefoot, even in the snow. Still, Oskar finds himself fascinated by her and wants, even needs her company. Perhaps she needs him just as much.

They way various aspects of the story unfold, such as Eli’s relationship with a frightening older man, the realization of locals that a vampire is loose in their town and the brutal final conflict between Oskar and his bullies, I dare not reveal. The film is beautifully structured so that when various haunting shots and “scare” scenes do occur, they are given even more power and meaning. Among my favorites are when we are given brief glimpses of Eli’s frightening supernatural powers, such as when her eyes glow in the dark, or a truly haunting shot where it seems that Eli’s “true” age is revealed for a moment (Note: further distancing itself from any comparison to “Twilight:” Eli is not really a “good” vampire. Yes, she loves and protects Oskar. Everyone else, however, is dinner.)

A further fascinating aspect of the film is that it is pretty much a “secular” vampire movie. There is no use, even mention of, crosses, holy water, garlic or even wooden stakes. However, aversion to sunlight is still very much in play. Also, in one of the most moving and disturbing scenes in the movie, the rule that a vampire must be invited in before it can enter a home is very much in play, too.

I have wanted to see this film for awhile now. It perhaps the most highly regarded horror film of 2008 and was well received by mainstream critics around the world as well. It did not disappoint. It works on many levels, be it as a horror film, a “vampire movie,” or as a painful, yet accurate portrait of two lonely adolescents who need each other. It shows that the horror genre can have depth when a film makes the effort, as this one does. I highly recommend it.

Extras:

• Deleted scenes.
  
• A “making of” featurette.

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