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Hyberbole is bandied around a lot these days; every film that comes along is apparently the best something ever. An attitude of cynicism when reading such claims is unavoidable for the jaded cinemagoer. So when a film arrives on a wave of critical praise, it's hard to trust some of the inflated claims made. Does Let the Right One In truly deserve to be called the greatest vampire film of all time? Well, such an pronouncement is impossible to back up unless the person making it has seen every vampire film ever made. Surprisingly, though, even without such a thorough knowledge of the genre, in this case it does not seem like such a crazy, attention-grabbing soundbite. Let the Right One In is certainly a quality production, the equal of any vampire-centric film for many a year. It is also, however, by no means what you would expect from a vampire movie. Twilight it ain't.
Made in the snowy, frozen climes of Sweden, Let the Right One In is, more than anything, a story about childhood. Blond-haired Oskar is a lonely 12-year-old whose parents are separated and who is bullied at school. One night, while in the courtyard outside his apartment block, he meets Eli, a girl who's about his age, and even though her behaviour is odd (she doesn't seem to be cold, despite never wearing thick clothing, and she doesn't know what a Rubik's Cube is, yet proves adept at solving one), they quickly bond. Yes, Eli is a vampire, which Oskar eventually comes to realise. However, he is at the age when his mind is still accepting of new things, and takes the discovery in his stride. The relationship between this unusual pair is truly charming, thanks in large part to the excellent performances from the young actors. Kare Hedebrant's Oskar is sweetly naive yet clearly not stupid, while Lina Leandersson mixes an otherworldly aura with a kind heart.
The drama of the film is driven by Eli's plight - as a vampire, she needs to drink human blood to survive, yet she clearly doesn't like killing people. The film treats established vampire mythos with admirable earnestness. These are certainly vampires in the traditional sense - they burst into flame when coming into contact with sunlight, victims who are not killed in a vampiric attack become vampires themselves, and they cannot enter anywhere without being invited inside by the occupant (hence the title). The story takes its time and Hollywood-style wham-bang pyrotechnics are nowhere to be seen, but any concerns about boredom are soon dismissed as the story slowly develops into something engrossing and absorbing, with some effective sequences of suspense adding to the overall package.
The summary
Subtle and quietly riveting, Let the Right One In slowly works its way into your head and then stays put.
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