LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

(2008) Tomas Alfredson
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1139797/
(Låt den rätte komma in)

More of a drama than a horror film, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN tells the story of Oskar – a 12 year old who is picked on by fellow classmates and dealing with divorced parents in the cold Scandinavian landscape of 1980s Sweden. He meets a girl who just moved into his neighborhood named Eli and a sweet friendship blossoms. Unfortunately, there are vampires involved. That never remains sweet and innocent for long.

This is a beautifully shot, grim little film has some really tender moments and some really scary moments. The shivers come from an earnest concern for the stories characters. The cold and bleak landscape adds another level to the film as even the days are dark and dreary and seem to hide the light of day from the residents. This film was poetry in a grey and cold landscape.

The acting is amazing. Evidently it took over a year to find two children that could play the complex and sometimes disturbing roles. They did an amazing job in showing a wide range of emotions.

The plot had many levels and allowed the viewer to look at the surface story or dive deeper into what was left unsaid. I really enjoyed that aspect of the movie. It made it even more interesting. The cinematography was amazing and it showed both the beauty and the bleakness of the area. This is not just a film for horror fans. It focuses on the relationships between characters more than the lore of the vampire. I enjoyed this film immensely.