Let the Right One In

With the exception of one gratuitous CGI shot, Let the Right One In is perfect.

Written by John Ajvide Lindqvist, from his novel, this swedish language film follows an isolated young boy who develops an odd friendship and budding romance with his new neighbor, only to discover that she’s a vampire.

It’s a blend of dark fantasy, horror, and coming of age drama that doesn’t pull any punches. It’s bloody, violent, disturbing, funny, insightful, and emotionally resonant in a way you’d never think possible. Those familiar with the novels of Richard Laymon will feel right at home, and the rest are in for a treat. Lindqvist tells his story with no compromises toward Hollywood morality or convention and the result is a story that feels relentlessly original.

Directing Lindqvist’s script, Tomas Alfredson does a phenomenal job establishing atmosphere and maintaining pace. The film is, crucially, set in the late 70’s/early 80’s yet Alfredson never overdoes his period accoutrements. It’s the subtle hints, the record player, the tape deck, the Smurf toy, which provide all the information we need to place the story in context. This attention to atmosphere extends to the bleak, snow covered exteriors as well, which serve to reinforce the story’s themes of loneliness and isolation and give the sets an almost minimalist feel. This pays off as a stark contrast to the copious amount of blood Alfredson employs as a reoccurring visual theme. Indeed, if it weren’t for the minimalist approach he takes with so much of the film, he couldn’t get away with the darker, more violent aspects of the story.

Finally, there are the performers. Kåre Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson are superb, each giving an understated, emotionally expressive and utterly realistic performance. Leandersson in particular pulls off what, on paper, looks like an impossible role, an immortal girl perpetually stuck on the edge of puberty, wise but not mature, old but not aged. From her first scene on, she nails it.

Let the Right One In is the rare film that’s so good, by the time it’s three-quarters over, you’re just hoping they don’t screw up the ending. Though Alfredson does make one mistake involving a scene with some CGI cats that’s overdone, resulting in a couple of shots that scream “fake cartoon” and distract from what’s otherwise such a grounded film, it’s the lone hiccup in an otherwise flawless execution.

And yes, he nails the ending.