Theatrical Review of Let the Right One In

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Two vampire films arrive in American theaters this month with very different marketing strategies. "Twilight" takes the simple approach, hoping to tempt teenage audiences to come watch a movie about teenage (or 20-ish) characters. It´s a simple approach that, combined with a wide release, is guaranteed to be a success.

"Let the Right One In," by contrast, hopes to target an adult audience with a story about two 12 year olds. And, oh yes, it´s also in Swedish. While it´s safe to assume its entire theatrical run won´t even approach the first day gross of "Twilight," the Swedish import has already become a critical success and has gained enough of a cult following that an American remake has already been greenlit. The film´s surprising success no doubt benefits greatly from the continued resurgence of the horror genre but also has a little something do with the fact that it´s also a heck of a movie.

Oskar (Kåre Hedebrandt) would probably be on the "school shooter" career track if he lived in America. He´s picked on terribly at school, and fantasizes about stabbing his bullies and making them squeal like pigs. Fortunately for the Swedish educational system, Oskar is far too passive to act out his revenge scenario and spends his time moping outside in the snow. It´s a Swedish film, so of course there´s snow.

One night he meets a young girl who seems to materialize out of the night air perched atop a plastic jungle gym set. Her name is Eli (Lina Leandersson) and it´s not exactly difficult to figure out that she´s a vampire, even if Oskar doesn´t catch on quite as quickly. The two strike up a hesitant friendship, first bonding over a Rubik´s cube and later clinging to each other just in hopes of staving off their crushing social isolation.

"Let the Right One" does not go for the gothic romance of Ann Rice or the tongue-in-cheek humor of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and its progeny. Instead, the film strikes a low-key melancholy tone, bolstered both by its location (blood sure splatters real pretty on that virginal white snow) and its de-dramatized approach. The entire film hinges on the relationship between Oskar and Eli, two 12 years old kids (though Eli has been ´twelve years old for a long time") who feel like pariahs and harbor no hopes of ever re-connecting to society.

The film doesn´t chintz on the genre elements though. It keeps the red, red vino on tap at all times. Eli needs blood and the townspeople (Oskar´s neighbors) are going to provide it. At first she has help in the form of Håkan (Per Ragnar) an older man who does her bidding, efficiently prepping his victims for quick exsanguination. As for who Håkan has, we have no idea. He could be Eli´s father or perhaps even her brother (she´s been 12 "for a long time") or maybe he´s just a thrall she´s picked up along the way. One of the joys of this film is that it trusts the audience enough not to explain everything with the grueling exposition and backstory that will no doubt accompany the American remake. We have no idea how Eli became a vampire, and the film is much more interesting for leaving the details up to the viewer´s imagination.

Eventually Eli is forced to stalk prey on her own and she´s neither gentle nor selective in the process. She picks on the nice townspeople as well as the bad ones. A meal´s a meal, after all. Yet director Tomas Alfredson and writer John Ajvide Lindqvist still find a way to keep her a sympathetic character though not one we identify with by pathos. Eli is what she is, and nobody makes any apologies for her. Good or bad simply aren´t relevant concepts here.

Both child actors turn in subdued and effective performances though, truth be told, Oskar isn´t the most dynamic protagonist. He´s slotted primarily as an observer, and Hedebrandt´s reactions are so tamped down it´s hard to read much from him. Leandersson´s performance is also carefully modulated, but she gets more of a chance to shine in a (ahem) much meatier role. Though there´s plenty of existential angst simmering here, Eli doesn´t wallow in self-pity like the stereotypical brooding vampire. She´s a pragmatist, and even her friendship with Oskar seems like as much of a calculation as a sincere attempt to reach out. Eli is a truly fascinating character.

"Let the Right One In" is a smart, confident film that respects the genre without being enslaved by it. Alfredson also isn´t afraid to take the film dead seriously: a movie with two child stars, it is somehow completely devoid of anything resembling cuteness. Maybe it´s a Swedish thing. A miscalculated ending is the only major weakness in this moody and moving film. It is certainly one of the most accomplished and intriguing vampire films released in quite some time, and Eli rates pretty high in the pantheon of cinema vampires.

An 8/10 on the DVDTown scale.

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