Almost ethereal, subtle, nuanced and the calmest vampire movie you're ever likely to see
Let the Right One In (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:147
Fresh:143
Rotten:4
Average Rating:8.2/10
Consensus: Let the Right One In reinvigorates the seemingly tired vampire genre by effectively mixing scares with intelligent storytelling.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for some bloody violence including disturbing images, brief nudity and language.
Runtime: 1 hr 54 mins
Genre: Foreign Films
Theatrical Release:Oct 24, 2008 Limited
Box Office: $1,882,159
Synopsis: Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) is a 12-year-old outcast who is frequently picked on by his classmates. He dreams of getting his revenge, but he never stands up to the boys. With the arrival of his new... Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) is a 12-year-old outcast who is frequently picked on by his classmates. He dreams of getting his revenge, but he never stands up to the boys. With the arrival of his new next-door neighbor, 12-year-old Eli (Lina Leandersson), Oskar may finally have found a friend, ally, and first love. But Eli is no ordinary girl: she must keep her pale skin out of the sunlight, she can perform inhuman physical feats, and she has thirst for blood. The bodies begin to pile up, but Oskar can't stay away from the girl who has finally given him courage. Based on the novel by John Ajvide Linqvist (who also wrote the script), LET THE RIGHT ONE IN is the best kind of horror film: one that transcends the tropes of the genre to become something new. This is director Tomas Alfredson's first foray into horror, and he doesn't hesitate to include bits of vampire mythology. But his background making comedies and dramas gives the film a surprising depth; the relationship between Oskar and Eli is tentative and sweet, even though their interactions may be surrounded by blood and violence. Composer Johan Soderqvist and the sound department create a fascinating palette of music and sounds that add to the film's perfectly chilly mood, and setting the film in a snowy Swedish suburb gives director of photography Hoyte Van Hoytema a starkly beautiful environment for shooting. Though LET THE RIGHT ONE IN is ostensibly about a pair of children, this is a horror film for adults. There are plenty of scares, but it remains moving and intelligent, a rare feat for the genre. [More]
Starring: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Henrik Dahl
Starring: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Henrik Dahl, Karin Bergquist, Peter Carlberg, Ika Nord, Karl-Robert Lindgren, Anders T Peedu, Pale Olofsson
Director: Tomas Alfredson
Director: Tomas Alfredson
Screenwriter: John Ajvide Lindqvist
Producer: John Nordling, Carl Molinder
Composer: Johan Soderqvist
Studio: Magnolia Pictures
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Reviews for Let the Right One In
How vampire movies have changed, babe. A bewitching film about the relationship between two twelve year olds, when one is a vampire, this delicate Swedish offering explodes with understatement, unfathomable longing coupled with bloody murder
Vampire films are often shallow, sensational and obvious, which is why they can be an acquired taste. But for those who favor them or don't, this is the right one to let in.
The director approaches this potentially sensationalistic material the way a cat creeps up on a live meal: with quiet patience and cunning.
Vast amounts of empty space take up the formalistic widescreen compositions ... Then there are the sounds: a heartbeat, sniffling, breathing. All these things bring the audience closer to the characters and help make our experience theirs.
An American remake seems inevitable, but it will be hard to re-create the haunting spell cast by this wonderfully strange film about being young and going steady with a monster.
Like a horror romance Kieslowski might have made, as it explores both a tender, tentative relationship -- a connection in an otherwise dark world -- and relative morality.
,,,could even be read as a kind of grim metaphor for marriage in that it explores the thanklessness of constancy and the long-distance loneliness of the impenetrable soul.
The best vampire movie of 2008 -- heck, the best vampire movie of the last 20 years -- is Let the Right One In.
Forget... Twilight... this story far more likely illustrates what would happen when a seemingly under-aged vampire moves in next door (hint: no one's going to the prom).
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN is not a piece of throwaway fluff. It is a dark film of pain, most not of a supernatural origin.
A haunting, suspenseful coming-of-age tale, giving a tender, unique twist to the bloodsucking genre that dates back to the classic 1922 'Nosferatu.'
What a relief -- and what a delight -- it is to be able to praise a horror film without a string of qualifiers and excuses!
How can a movie be so tender, poignant, horrific, and gory all at once?
"Let the Right One In" is a much scarier vampire movie than the megahit "Twilight," but that's no great shakes. Would you believe, though, that it's also a much better love story?
The best fantasy stories excel because they give new perspective to real-life issues through the lens of the supernatural, and the Swedish film uses vampirism to tackle adolescence in all its glorious agony.
Latest News for Let the Right One In
September 07, 2009:
Five Favourite Films with Richard Curtis
Richard Curtis has a plan. "What I've decided is to choose recent films," he explains to RT. "I do think that often people get stuck in always saying the five greatest films of... More...
August 13, 2009:
RT on DVD: Invite Let the Right One In
This week we welcome the arrival of a certified modern classic -- Tomas Alfredson's Let the Right One In, a chilling and beautiful vampire movie turned coming-of-age tale; and... More...
June 30, 2009:
Matt Reeves Talks Let the Right One In Remake ![]()
Skeptical about the pending American remake of "Let the Right One In"? Director Matt Reeves wants you to know he's tackling the story for all the right reasons. More...
June 28, 2009:
Edinburgh 2009: RT's 10 Must-See Movies
The Edinburgh Film Festival has come to a close and Rotten Tomatoes thought we'd make a traditional look back over all of the films playing at this year's fest and present to... More...
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