Let the Right One In

Oskar, a bullied 12-year-old, dreams of revenge. He falls in love with Eli, a peculiar girl. She can't stand the sun or food, and to come into a room she needs to be invited. Eli gives Oskar the strength to hit back, but when he realizes that Eli needs to drink other people’s blood to live he’s faced with a choice. How much can love forgive? Let The Right One In is a story both violent and highly romantic, set in the Stockholm suburb of Blackeberg in 1982.

                                          --John Nordling, Producer of

                                             Let the Right One In

7 Great Reasons to Catch

This Excellent Swedish Vampire Film

1.) One of the finest films of the year, foreign or English-language. Don’t take my word for it; check out its score at the Rotten Tomatoes website. As I write this in late November 2008, it has an incredibly high 97% Tomato Meter rating!

2.) For horror-fan aficionados, one of the genre’s best films of the past decade or two. For non-aficionados, it’s the “right one” to catch. For those who say “I don’t like horror films” (sissies!) — it’s your loss. I don’t like mega-violence but The Departed and Black Hawk Down made my top ten lists in their respective years.

3.) For those who love romantic films, this is perhaps more believable, by far, than the rest of the romantic comedies and romantic dramas (Nights in Rodanthe, anyone?) produced this year.

4.) This will surely be remembered as director Tomas Alfredson’s breakthrough film. With Ingmar Bergman now gone, he probably moves to the front of the line as Sweden’s Best Living Director. This is not to equate Mr. Alfredson’s career, to date, with Mr. Bergman’s, but trying to give you an idea how good Alfredson is and how important he’s become with this film.

5.) If you’re a fan of great cinematography, you won’t be disappointed. The film has already won two international cinematography awards. Various images from this film will stay with you for days. One of the many that’s bouncing around in my head is this giant white poodle, bouncing along in white snow, coming upon a scene of total horror. Kudos to cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema.

6.) Two incredibly terrific performances from young newcomers Kare Hedebrant (as Oskar) and Lina Leandersson (as Eli). Both are sensationally good. You totally forget they’re acting and she’s a vampire, for goodness sake!

7.) A brilliantly intelligent screenplay by John Ajvide Lindqvist, based on his novel of the same name. The unexpectedness of much of the dialogue makes it refreshingly effective. Your mental acuity gets a good workout, along with your visual acuity.

                                                           Jim Baldassare