Let The Right One In (2008) Review
Written by: BlackTequilaKiss
You think you have seen what is defining, then there comes that movie. The one movie that not only changes the rules but brings a new definition to the movies it represents. It sits beneath the skin and stays in your mind long after the movie is over. These movies stay with you and they are far and few between. Enter, Let the Right One in.
I have seen many vampire movies, maybe not as many as some but enough to know the way directors try to change focus and keep the vampire mythology alive and beating. So many times the directors fail or the movie is hyped up so much it can not possibly sit to those standards. 9 out of 10 times I have fallen to hype and seen movies that do not live up to the standards, Let The Right One In, takes away all I knew and gave me a new experience.
This is how horror movies should be if not confined to the usual routine. How I miss these types of films and what they have to offer. One word: Beauty.
How the Story goes: 12 year old Oskar is overlooked in life and bullied on a daily basis, this all changes when he meets Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl who is more than what she seems. When Oskar realises the truth of who she is he is faced with a choice: stay by her side or turn away. How much can love really forgive?
There is so much to adore about this film. Cinematography, music, the actors, the story itself. Everything melds together and just creates a visual but tantalising movie.
CAST-
Just two I shall mention: First,
Kåre Hedebrant as Oskar. A shock of blonde hair, pale white skin but an innocence like no other, Kåre was the perfect choice for Oskar, he plays a quiet but intriguing role. Scenes involving the bullying was harsh, you felt every emotion as you longed for him to fight back and in scenes centred around him and Eli, there was a tender romantic overture about it all, that I very quickly became lost in the moments. He was a inspired choice for the role of Oskar. Fantastic.
Lina Leandersson as Eli. Such a beautiful girl. For such a young age she put utter heart and soul into the movie and it shows. Never going over the top in her acting she hit the nail on the head and played to perfect note. A fantastic actress who should by all accounts go very far in life.
Special Effects / Cinematography & Music:
Firstly the special effects. One of the things I loved about the film is that it is not non stop gore, it is not filled with thrill a minute in every scene but actually a quiet little number so when the moments such as Eli biting down on a guy in order to stay alive or climbing a hospital building occur it is all the more amazing for how they achieved such goals.
Nothing actually looked fake but real to the eye, description was done to great detail and it shows, I cannot complain because the time put into the SFX alone was gorgeous. Superb.
Cinematography. Thank you. It needed saying. In so many reviews of late, Cinematography has suffered due to lack of passion but not in this. From the snow covered grounds to the bare rooms where Eli thrives all the way to the trees in the dark and shadows across the ground, it all creates added atmosphere. One scene beneath a bridge, half layered in darkness, half layered in light you can feel your heart pounding at every moment you are glued to the screen.
Music. How I loved this. Throughout the brunt of the movie it was very quiet, soft and emoted everything very well. Parts of the movie the orchestral music was so lingering, I became lost in everything. It grips your heart, it takes you by surprise it was all very beautifully and fitting with the film.
With the usual said and done, I cannot argue with this movie. There are minor flaws but so minor they aren't worth taking worry of. I loved this movie it grabbed me and left me physically and emotionally stunned. The turn of Eli and Oskar's friendship into a little bit more was done painstakingly well and even garnered a smile from me.
It is a cruel movie too though there are equal moments when Eli must do what is necessary that genuinely send shivers down your back. But in the end this is one of the most beautiful movies to grace screens. It takes away much of what we know about the Vampire myths and twists it to its own fashion.
The ending whilst dark, giving chills, is also atmospherically beautiful. In a world at the moment where Horror movies are struggling in one area and thriving in another, this is pure brilliance. Why so? It doesn't require constant blood or CGI to make it's mark. It does not boost a teenage cast who are in it for because of their looks and it doesn't use obligatory twists, it stays true to what it wanted to achieve.
'Let The Right One In' creates a dreamlike love story that as added ambience. I just cannot recommend it enough. I laughed, I smiled, I gasped, I had goose bumps and at the end I even felt tears run down my cheeks, it created every emotion desired and more. This was the movie that truly surpassed all my expectations.
Watch it and realise that Vampire films still have the power to emote emotions and take us beyond what we have seen.
Simply gorgeous, worthy of the hype and a love story for our time. Stunning, easily 9/10, if you haven't seen this you are missing out. Brilliant!