Movie Review: Let the Right One In

My dear friend, who I will always refer to as The Josie on this blog, is the person who recommended that I see this movie because she thought it related to one of my writing projects. As I mentioned in my previous post, it takes me forever to get around to things, and it took me a solid eight months to finally watch this. After it was over, I could have cried for waiting so long. Such wasted time. Want a synopsis? Go here.

Vampire movies are pretty popular right now, especially vampire romances. While Twilight has its center in a fantastical, unbelievable world, Let the Right One In is deeply rooted in reality. Much of the believability of this story lies in the stunning performances of the two lead characters, Oskar and Eli. Kare Hedebrant plays Oskar, a middle schooler who is bullied at school and pretty much ignored at home. Lina Leandersson plays Eli, a vampire who is struggling to survive. Their relationship becomes the only bright spot in either one of their lives. I really enjoyed the unconditional love aspect of this film as well, seeing as how Eli was a literal monster. It was very touching.

The two of them portrayed the innocence of puppy love perfectly. In their debut roles, they act as though they have been acting for a lifetime. It felt like they were born to play these characters. From the first moment Oskar notices Eli's beauty to the final moment they share on screen, there is the sense that we are being blessed with the first glimpses of something huge. Their romance feels as epic as Romeo and Juliet's, and it feels just as dangerous too.

Although there is no real story line outside of Oskar trying to avoid his bullies, Eli dealing with her urges and their budding romance, I felt that the story moved along nicely with a sense of profluence throughout. Somehow, the complicated mixture of gore, horror and romance never seemed overwhelming, silly or confusing. In fact, the film felt more like a slice of their lives than an overall complete story.

When I really like something, I tend to get a little obsessed with it, and this is one of those things. I want to read the book (of the same name), and I want to know what happened to the characters after the end of the film. They feel like real people to me, much in part to the phenomenal job on the part of the cast.

There is also supposed to be a remake of this film coming out soon, titled Let Me In. I feel so strongly about this movie that this is kind of blasphemy. Let the Right One In is only two years old. Maybe if more time had passed I wouldn't feel so annoyed by the obvious jump on the bandwagon, but we'll see. I highly doubt that this film can be topped. I definitely think it's worth tracking down for a rent. Oskar and Eli definitely give Edward and Becca a run for best vampire romance.