Movie Review: LET ME IN is THE RIGHT ONE

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of seeing LET ME IN (opening October 1st, 2010), a remake of the Swedish vampire horror film, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN. For a fan of horror and different cultures, I thoroughly enjoyed the original, and found that this new film holds up very well to its predecessor, and even upped it a few notches on the "horror movie" scale. After watching the original, I was yearning for more freaky vampire action, and certainly got it with LET ME IN.

The movie is about the relationship between a young boy, Owen, and his new friend, Abby, who moves in next door. Oh, did I forget to mention that Abby is a vampire? Sure, that's what all the scary fun is about (and I really mean scary AND fun), but the special relationship between such young children, and how this relationship unfolds, really sets it apart from the rest of the genre.

I loved the selective focus on the film (I'm a big fan of stylized cinematography), and the fact that it was set in the 80's gave it that special awkardness resonating with the main characters (and probably my own childhood). Even the style of the apartment, in which Owen lived, (the columned divider and the dining room table chairs) reminded me of the house I grew up in, bringing this film even more closer to home.

I like to keep an open mind when viewing both foreign films and their remakes because there is a cultural aspect hidden behind the making of them. I enjoy the unique nuances and subtlety of foreign films, but sometimes they lack the action of domestic movies. LET ME IN gave me a little bit of both.

For horror movie buffs and indie-film lovers, I'd highly recommend LET ME IN. For fans of the original (and foreign films), I'd say keep an open mind and enjoy the film!

-Tiina Vuorenmaa