Let the right one in is simply one of the very best vampire films I have seen in my life. In a genre full of crap this horror stands out for many reasons, its haunting beauty, an inventive take on the mythology of vampires and its use of children, not for cheep scares (children can be really creepy) but for strong individual characters with real motives and emotions.
The story opens like many horrors, a new neighbour moves next door and all of a sudden murders begin to occur. The plot itself reads as a little childish; the main character a shy and abused schoolboy befriends the vampire that moves next door and helps him overcome his fear of the bullies that abuse him. The execution of this narrative is so brilliant however that the simplicity of the films major plotline is completely outweighed by the depth of the two main character Oskar and Eli. The themes of good and bad, right and wrong are somewhat unbalanced throughout, whilst you know the bullies are evil you also understand Eli (the 12 year old vampire) is evil too. So why can she kill and it be okay when the bullies cannot even shout names at Oskar without gaining instant hatred from the audience? There are a lot of reasons, there need to be or the film would fall apart. The first is our immediate like and identification with Oskar, everyone has felt bullied at some time and we see him at a really emotional time, it is also easy to tell there is something not quite right about him, obviously he doesn't fit in but the extremeness of his character show make you feel he never will. This is made more apparent when you see him finally fitting in, when he is with his father, in that brief amount of time he seems really at home, comfortable, highlighting how out of place he is in normal life. The only other emotional release he has, his only friend, is Eli, whether they are tapping Morse code through the wall or sending rubix cubes back and fourth you want them to be together, despite their age their romance and companionship is beautiful. There are times in the film where the pair fight or do.... unusual things but these are followed by a subtle acceptance of each other that again strengthens the audiences emotional connection to the couple, who cares if she kills people, this is a story about child companionship not a horror about vampires.
Visually the snow and picturesque landscapes make for a beautiful backdrop and a brilliant metaphor for coldness. The vivid reds are common in horror but it is not often they are so well contrasted in the image with other colours, this is actually the story throughout he whole film! The horror is pretty classic although it has a nice touch of realism and little bravado it is only so good because it is within this little story about two lost unaccepted children. Whilst I dislike children being used as a cheep horror thrill Eli is something more.... she is damn creepy but she has a human side. The tunnel scene is almost clockwork orange esque and is exceptional as is all of the cinematography within thee film. Almost every shot is visually amazing, inventive or thought provoking. The score to the film is exceptional, the Oskar in love theme and the delicate tracks to narrate the quieter scenes are fantastic, dainty and seem as fragile and emotive as the characters, it perfectly matches the story and the setting.
SPOILER
An interesting discussion can be made about the character Hakan, the man who appears with Eli and obtains blood for her. You can kind of tell he is not her father but their exact connection is never revealed. In the book, which I haven't read, Hakan is a paedophile who was fired from teaching and would do anything to be intimate with Eli. The film is not the book, whilst this may have been his original character I personally believe that history has repeated itself and that Hakan was as Eli now is and fell in love with Eli when he was a child and she never aged. Again this isnt confirmed or really suggested, its just an idea, an upsetting one, to think that the companionship and romance may not be unique, but who know it could be different this time round.
END
I think what really elevates this film is that it has a perfect soundtrack or the images, perfect characters for the images, perfect story for the images and for the soundtrack and for the characters. Everything is perfectly matched and is pretty close to perfect. I recommend this film really, I haven't seen the american remake or read the book but this film is fantastic, watch it!
9.5/10
The story opens like many horrors, a new neighbour moves next door and all of a sudden murders begin to occur. The plot itself reads as a little childish; the main character a shy and abused schoolboy befriends the vampire that moves next door and helps him overcome his fear of the bullies that abuse him. The execution of this narrative is so brilliant however that the simplicity of the films major plotline is completely outweighed by the depth of the two main character Oskar and Eli. The themes of good and bad, right and wrong are somewhat unbalanced throughout, whilst you know the bullies are evil you also understand Eli (the 12 year old vampire) is evil too. So why can she kill and it be okay when the bullies cannot even shout names at Oskar without gaining instant hatred from the audience? There are a lot of reasons, there need to be or the film would fall apart. The first is our immediate like and identification with Oskar, everyone has felt bullied at some time and we see him at a really emotional time, it is also easy to tell there is something not quite right about him, obviously he doesn't fit in but the extremeness of his character show make you feel he never will. This is made more apparent when you see him finally fitting in, when he is with his father, in that brief amount of time he seems really at home, comfortable, highlighting how out of place he is in normal life. The only other emotional release he has, his only friend, is Eli, whether they are tapping Morse code through the wall or sending rubix cubes back and fourth you want them to be together, despite their age their romance and companionship is beautiful. There are times in the film where the pair fight or do.... unusual things but these are followed by a subtle acceptance of each other that again strengthens the audiences emotional connection to the couple, who cares if she kills people, this is a story about child companionship not a horror about vampires.
Visually the snow and picturesque landscapes make for a beautiful backdrop and a brilliant metaphor for coldness. The vivid reds are common in horror but it is not often they are so well contrasted in the image with other colours, this is actually the story throughout he whole film! The horror is pretty classic although it has a nice touch of realism and little bravado it is only so good because it is within this little story about two lost unaccepted children. Whilst I dislike children being used as a cheep horror thrill Eli is something more.... she is damn creepy but she has a human side. The tunnel scene is almost clockwork orange esque and is exceptional as is all of the cinematography within thee film. Almost every shot is visually amazing, inventive or thought provoking. The score to the film is exceptional, the Oskar in love theme and the delicate tracks to narrate the quieter scenes are fantastic, dainty and seem as fragile and emotive as the characters, it perfectly matches the story and the setting.
SPOILER
An interesting discussion can be made about the character Hakan, the man who appears with Eli and obtains blood for her. You can kind of tell he is not her father but their exact connection is never revealed. In the book, which I haven't read, Hakan is a paedophile who was fired from teaching and would do anything to be intimate with Eli. The film is not the book, whilst this may have been his original character I personally believe that history has repeated itself and that Hakan was as Eli now is and fell in love with Eli when he was a child and she never aged. Again this isnt confirmed or really suggested, its just an idea, an upsetting one, to think that the companionship and romance may not be unique, but who know it could be different this time round.
END
I think what really elevates this film is that it has a perfect soundtrack or the images, perfect characters for the images, perfect story for the images and for the soundtrack and for the characters. Everything is perfectly matched and is pretty close to perfect. I recommend this film really, I haven't seen the american remake or read the book but this film is fantastic, watch it!
9.5/10
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