Låt den rätte komma in
Country of Origin: Sweden
Primary Audio Language: Swedish
Director: Tomas Alfredson
Film Length: 1h 54m
Synopsis: When Oskar, a sensitive, bullied 12-year-old boy living with his mother in suburban Sweden, meets his new neighbor, the mysterious and moody Eli, they strike up a friendship. Initially reserved with each other, Oskar and Eli slowly form a close bond, but it soon becomes apparent that she is no ordinary young girl. Eventually, Eli shares her dark, macabre secret with Oskar, revealing her connection to a string of bloody local murders.
Star Rating: ★★★★★
Review: Based on the book of the same name by John Aivide Lindqvist (English version here) and adapted as an American film, Let Me In in 2010, this is a different approach to the traditional vampire tale than most viewers will be familiar with, but how much they enjoy that difference will depend on their preferences.
Set in a small suburb of Sweden during the 1980s, the movie follows the development of a somewhat unnerving friendship between a very pale young boy, who is relentlessly bullied at school and so withdraws to violent fantasies of retaliation, and the unusual girl who moves in next door with the man who is seemingly her father. At it’s surface level, it’s a genre-blending horror movie of romance and harrowing bloody revenge. On it’s deeper level, it’s an emotionally poetic tribute to loneliness and two people who need each other for very different reasons coming together when it’s needed most.
More intense than frightening, the atmosphere build-up is full of subtle tension and restraint that I’ve found is much more common in foreign films than it is in American movies. That being said, typical horror fans might not appreciate the layered complexity, and some additional interpretation is required of the film. Not every element of the plot or character relationships are fully explained, which might frustrate some viewers, but those with a good imagination and willing to put forth the necessary thought will be treated to a profoundly personal and emotional cinematic delight.
Available On: Hulu
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