Based on the popular Swedish novel of the same name, “Let the Right One In” is a haunting vampiric love story that revolves around our innermost instincts and our relationships. For those of you who enjoy a fairy tale, Hans Christian Anderson couldn’t have written it better himself.
This modern-day gothic story revolves around Oskar (KÃ¥re Hedebrant), a 12-year-old boy often bullied and tormented by his classmates, as he befriends the new next-door neighbor, Eli (Lina Leandersson). Despite having the appearance of being a 12-year-old girl, Eli constantly warns Oskar that she is not a girl as Oskar thinks; in fact, it is revealed to the audience that Eli holds the sinister secret of being a vampire. Despite this biting, possibly deal-breaking secret, the two develop a budding friendship. However, as they get to know each other better, Oskar grows a bit more suspicious of his nighttime friend just as the townspeople began to question the strange murders around town, forcing Oskar to choose whether or not he wants to stay friends with Eli.
While the movie features gorgeous long establishing shots of the desolate Scandinavian winter landscape, the true beauty of this movie lies within the story. Director Tomas Alfredson slowly develops the plot, leaving many subtle points up to interpretation for the audience, letting their imaginations work. While one person might view the relationship between Oskar and Eli as a love story, another could see Oskar and Eli’s friendship as a scam in which Eli is only using Oskar in order to utilize Oskar’s serial killer tendencies to her advantage. The movie alludes to our feelings on the subject of unrequited love and the true definition of humanity. By being a vampire, the viewer holds Eli to other standards, and despite the murdering rampages out of necessity, Eli is portrayed as an overall likeable character. Unlike other vampire movies, however, this movie is slow and is minimal in action scenes, making it a refreshing story that can be enjoyed by any fan of film. The movie also touches on taboo subjects, such as the above mentioned sociopathic instincts of Oskar, who often fantasizes about brutally murdering the boys who beat him up despite only being 12 years old. Also, there is a scene of 12-year-old full-frontal nudity that some audience members might find disturbing, although it does bring up an interesting plot point that was crucial to the book, but not otherwise mentioned in the movie besides at this point.
Unfortunately, as with all good things from abroad, this movie is slated for an American remake with a release date in 2010, which will probably detract from the carefully woven story. Although not much is known about the remake, chances are that this wonderful version of the story cannot be topped.