Let The Right One In (2008) Starring Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson & Per Ragnar Directed by Tomas Alfredson Written by John Ajvide Lindqvist

I’m referring to Tomas Alfredson’s Let the Right One In, a film which any fan of vampires, not necessarily horror but vampires, needs to see. It’s a film not based on jumps or incredible displays of unholy might, but about the problematic nature of eternal youth, the need to feed on blood to survive, of having a bite that makes your victim pregnant with undeath. And you’ll never see it on a big screen in the US because the story is told through the eyes of a 12-year old boy.

The boy in question is Oskar, an intelligent, curious, effete little boy who lives in a rundown apartment with his single mom. His father has left to pursue another man. The biggest problem on his mind is a bully in his class who, with a small posse in tow, make the little boy’s life hell on a daily basis. One possessed of a cunning mind, a weak body, and a growing desperation, Oskar’s mind begins to wander to violent solutions to his problems, like the pocket knife he keeps hidden in his coat. His knife practice by moonlight catches the attention of a new neighbor, Eli, a young girl who curiously doesn’t leave the house by day.

The pair form an instant bond, forged by their outcast status. Clever Oskar soon discovers Eli’s nature (the vampire bit, we know early on…but there’s something else about her that is a bit of a shock in a jarringly blunt sequence… and you might not get to see it in the States. We can only hope the DVD is uncut) and soon becomes her only source of company when her ‘father’ is caught trying to acquire blood for the girl from the locals and is killed in the process. In return, Eli helps Oskar to defend himself.

The strengths of Let the Right One In are many. Its well filmed, has amazing child performances, and most of all it has a very powerful, extremely well developed narrative that treats vampirism and the questions of its mythology very seriously. Being the only vampire film I can think of to answer the question “what happens if a vampire enters a home uninvited?” it instantly gains my esteem.

Most importantly, it is a vampire movie that still has teeth. Twilight, the obvious comparison, creates a bond between a vampire and a human that dodges the problems inherent in the relationship. In Twilight, the vampire doesn’t drink human blood, he chooses to only feed on animals….just like any human might (only, his are raw, I guess). Also, the vampire Edward seems completely adjusted to being 90 years old, but permanently trapped in the body of a minor. None of the societal or sociological problems that would surely arise from this are really touched upon, mostly avoided because the family has the ability to walk in the day, and has access to great wealth. Essentially, the vampire of Twilight isn’t a vampire at all, he’s a very sophisticated young man who likes steak tar-tar.

Let the Right One In is unflinching by comparison. Oskar, in love with Eli, must confront the idea that Eli must devour and murder people on an almost daily basis. In order to avoid suspicion of murder, Eli can never be seen, and can only stay in a city for a few days at a time. What wealth she has is in the form of antiques, but Eli lives in a state of poverty, unable to collect or carry material wealth with her. While Eli still maintains the mannerisms of a 12 year old girl, she carries on her back the burdens of immortal life, affected forever by hundreds of years of scars, mental and physical. The love story of Eli and Oskar is that much more powerful, because it happens in spite of these problems, while Twilight tip toes quietly around their absence.

Gruesome at moments, and unabashedly honest, Let the Right One In is a bizarre little horror film that doesn’t deliver jumps or scares, but rather expands upon classic mythos, and gains a tremendous emotional involvement from its audience. Almost certainly it is THE horror movie of 2008.