Låt den rätte komma in (2008)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

Tomas Alfredson

Writers:

John Ajvide Lindqvist (novel)
John Ajvide Lindqvist (screenplay)

Release Date:

24 October 2008 (Norway)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Oscar, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl who turns out to be a vampire.

Plot:

Oskar, a bullied 12-year old, dreams of revenge. He falls in love with Eli, a peculiar girl. She can't...

Plot Keywords:

Girl | Suburb | Blood | Revenge | Winter

Awards:

51 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Kåre Hedebrant	...	Oskar
Lina Leandersson	...	Eli
Per Ragnar	...	Håkan
Henrik Dahl	...	Erik
Karin Bergquist	...	Yvonne
Peter Carlberg	...	Lacke
Ika Nord	...	Virginia
Mikael Rahm	...	Jocke
Karl-Robert Lindgren	...	Gösta (as Karl Robert Lindgren)
Anders T. Peedu	...	Morgan (as Anders Peedu)
Pale Olofsson	...	Larry (as Paul Olofsson)
Cayetano Ruiz	...	Magister Avila
Patrik Rydmark	...	Conny
Johan Sömnes	...	Andreas
Mikael Erhardsson	...	Martin

Also Known As:

Let the Right One In (International: English title) (USA) (new title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some bloody violence including disturbing images, brief nudity and language.

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Sweden:15 | USA:R | Finland:K-15 | South Korea:15 | Canada:14A (British Columbia/Ontario) | Germany:16 | Denmark:15 | Norway:15 | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:MA | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:15 | Italy:VM14 | Ireland:16 | France:-12 | Mexico:B15 | Portugal:M/16 | Iceland:16 | Poland:15

Filming Locations:

Blackeberg, Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden

Company:

EFTI

Trivia:

Several tricks were used to create the right sound effects for some of the gorier scenes. Biting into sausages was used to replicate biting into skin and flesh, and drinking yogurt was used to sound like drinking blood. The sound of the children blinking was made by the skin of a grape rubbing against each other in an almost 'blinking' motion.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The scene with the empty jungle gym near the end of the movie, two people can be seen moving in the background. These two are actually Eli and Oskar, since it's obvious that this scene is cut and re-used from one earlier in the movie (where Oskar and Eli learn Morse Code).

Quotes:

Oskar: Are you a vampire?
Eli: I live off blood...
[pause]
Eli: Yes.
Oskar: Are you...
[pause]
Oskar: Dead?
Eli: No. Can't you tell?

Movie Connections:

References "Smurfs" (1981)

Soundtrack:

Försonade

Brilliantly original work of art, both horrifying and tender

"Let the Right One In" is, at its heart, a sweet coming-of-age story which is so unique and different that it simply defies categorization. In this Swedish film, adapted from John Ajvide Lindqvist's bestselling book, director Tomas Alfredson dares to mix pleasure and pain in a way that is both horrifying and tender.

"Let the Right One In" has a storyline which, although it reveals some secrets early on, is best left as a surprise. So this will necessarily be one of those rare reviews in which the less said about the plot the better. 12-year-olds Oskar (Kare Hedebrant) and Eli (Lina Leandersson) meet one snowy afternoon at a jungle gym in the courtyard of Oskar's housing complex outside Stockholm. Their young, tender attraction for each other is apparent right from the start and we think we know where their relationship is headed. But there is a deep dark secret to be discovered here and when it's revealed the audience is both repulsed and curiously fascinated at the same time, in a similar fashion as when yellow crime scene tape brings us closer rather than warning us away.

The supporting cast is completely beholden to the narrative as it revolves around the adorable young couple, whose performances rival the best I've ever seen for actors of that age. The innocence and vulnerability of Hedebrant's Oskar is simply a tour-de-force and he admirably carries the film on his little shoulders. Leandersson matches him scene by scene, line by line, and the result literally gave me chills.

Production values are stellar, with all technical aspects -- lighting, original music by Johan Soderqvist, and Hoyte Van Hoytema's cinematography -- combining in perfect synchronization to produce a Hitchockian tale that somehow brings love and light into what could have been the darkest drama imaginable.

"Let the Right One In" was the overwhelming choice for Best Narrative Feature after its North American Premiere here at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. It is a truly well-deserved honor. Tomas Alfredson has crafted a brilliant work of art that left me shaking my head with wonder.