Let the Right One In Review

Written by: alex1176   

"Let the Right One In" is a quietly haunting (and sometimes poetic) tale about a young bullied boy who befriends a little girl that isn't what she seems to be. It could've been a drama about two pre-teen killers who rely on each other to survive, but it's not. It's a vampire story that avoids most of the usual genre mythos and embraces a more contemporary view. This isn't "Twilight", it's more in line with Terrance Malick's "Badlands", which starred Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek as young murderous lovers on the run.

In "Let the Right One In", we are quickly introduced to the two protagonists; a blond boy named Oskar and his new neighbor Eli. As they slowly bond together, gruesome murders begin to take place in their snow-covered town. Strangely, the movie never involves the police or their investigations. This is not an oversight, it simply wants to be about Oskar and Eli's platonic relationship. These kids are not star crossed lovers, but kids in need. Eli is in need of blood and Oskar is in need of a true friend. In their need, they revert to murder. It's a very grim scenario, but the movie is more fascinating than depressing. It's a character piece that rank's up there with Del Toro's "The Devil's Backbone" when it comes to entertainment.

I never read the novel that is based on, but to me, the title refers to Oskar's choice of a friend. He's in certainly in need of one, but there are many people he could befriend in life. The people we choose to populate are life with are very important choices we make. They can either help or hinder our lifestyle. Oskar's choice could damn him to a fate he may not particularly want later on in life. The movie's DVD cover art has the praise "Best Vampire Movie. Ever.". I'm not sure of that, but it is perhaps one of the best genre movies of 2008.