Let the Right One In - modern classic or over-hyped horror?
are always fashionable; it may seem that there is a glut of them at the moment, but that's just because they are high-profile hits like Twilight or well-publicised turkeys like Lesbian Vampire Killers. Next weekend sees the UK cinema release of an unusual addition to the horror cannon - a Swedish vampire film.
(Lat den ratte komma in) has proved a phenomenon on the internet, recruiting an army of fans who championed it when it was released in the US last year and are now enraged by the sub-standard subtitles on DVD release. Icons of Fright's frame-by-frame comparison of some of the changes is a great example of how powerful the internet can be in exposing mistakes, although I would strongly advise you not to peek until you've seen the film.
My question was whether Let the Right One In would stand up to being watched by someone who isn't a huge genre fan and is rather wary of hype. I saw the film having avoided reading any reviews and I think the less you know about it the better, so I'll be vague in terms of plot, but I will say that I think it's remarkable. Focussing on lonely 12-year-old Oskar, and the mysterious Eli who moves into the flat next door, the film starts as an atmospheric story of pre-teen dislocation. What follows is both an exploration of the children's relationship and an investigation of some of the conventions of the vampire film. Let the Right One In is refreshingly free from the usual horror requirement to make the audience jump and instead unnerves us with subtly deployed CGI effects and wit. It's surprisingly funny, but for all the right reasons, and it's no surprise that the director Tomas Alfredson has made a number of other films - all comedies. A delicious (and bloody) treat then, both melancholy and touching - see it before the inevitable Hollywood remake.
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