Sunday, November 16, 2008
A+E, Movies, Reviews

Offbeat vampire tale sucks you in

Review of "Let the Right One In"

With “True Blood” on HBO and “Twilight” heading for every multiplex, “Let the Right One In” offers an unusual treatment of what’s suddenly a common theme. The Swedish drama, adapted by John Ajvide Lindqvist from his novel and directed by Tomas Alfredson, is slow, moody and atmospheric, the antithesis of a Hollywood blockbuster—except for the blood.

Yes, it’s a vampire movie, but a vampire movie John Hughes might have made: the coming-of-age tale of a boy who falls in love and finds the courage to strike back at bullies.

Twelve-year-old Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) is regularly humiliated at school. He lives most of the time with his mother in a downscale apartment in a Stockholm suburb. Life becomes more interesting when new neighbors move in next door: Eli (Lina Leandersson), who’s “12, but I’ve been 12 for a long time,” lives with Håkan (Per Ragnar), who appears to be her father.

The morbid Oskar doesn’t flinch when he learns the truth about Eli. If anything, it makes her seem even cooler.

Considering the gruesome nature of Eli’s crimes, the viewer feels somewhat conflicted about rooting for her. That’s where “Let the Right One In” gets its hooks into you, slamming you around, emotionally speaking, like a rag doll in the hands of a pro wrestler.

The ending may be predictable, but there are definite surprises along the way. You may enjoy this movie more in retrospect than while you’re watching it. Pleasantly disturbing, it’s worth the time it requires to draw you in. 3 STARS—Steve Warren