Review: Let the Right One In
Posted by dominie in Films, Reviews on August 21st, 2008
We have been doing some rather extensive coverage on Magnet Releasing’s Let the Right One In over the past several months. The vampire tale has won numerous awards and accolades since its debut in Sweden last year. And its no wonder. The screenplay, based on an international best seller of the same title by Swedish author John Avjide Lindqvist, was written by Lindqvist himself, and directed by an acclaimed fellow countryman, Tomas Alfredson (Four Shades of Brown). Only lighted scripted, the film brings the audience’s focus to the character performances and production design, leaving the horror to our imagination. Read on to see what all the fuss is about.
LTROI is nothing like we have ever seen before. It is most definitely an organic rendition of all tales of the nosferatu that has come out of Hollywood. It ensues horror as a series of chilling murders are not reprimanded and evocative school scenes are marginalized as simply everyday terror. It is also incredibly heartwarming as we follow the development of a friendship between two twelve year old outcasts who ultimately become soulmates. And lets not forget to mention the CGI and special FX; there was just the right amount for the intended affect!
Oskar (Kare Hedebrant) is a lonely boy who lives with his un-present mom, longs for his alcoholic dad, and is the target of the stronger kids at school to bully. He becomes drawn to Eli (Lina Leandersson), a new resident to the suburban town who only appears at night, looks and smells strange, and is unaffected by the cold. She lives with an older man, Hakan (Per Ragnar), whom the locals assume is her father. As the story progresses, their relation becomes equivocal and not so simple—one of the many surprises the director has in store for us.
The film starts off in a slow, controlled pace that is easily forgivable since the audience becomes immediately absorbed in trying to decipher meaning from the opening scenes. Alfredson opts out of fangs and CGI vampires, and instead relies on the great performances from the cast to create the tone and build momentum for the unprecedented horror that will unravel. He makes a mockery of the insensibility and terror that humans inflict on each other in contrast to Hakan’s attempted sloppy murders, an indication that killing is not his sport. The result is extremely compelling; Alfredson humanizes the characters and offers a more relatable appeal. The tragic character of Eli is therefore so unforgettable that we can almost dismiss her crimes.
You don’t want to miss this. Let The Right One In has already received astounding reviews as a “future classic” and “one of the best films of the year—period.” It has received numerous awards including Best Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival, Best Director and Citizen’s Choice Award at the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival, and Critics Award at the NatFilm Festival. The film debuts October 24 in New York and Los Angeles.
