"Let Me In" : Swedish Horror Movie with an American Touch

Just when you thought you could handle no more vampire love stories, here comes along a little goodie called Let Me In. Yep, it's yet another remake-this time from Sweden. Set in the 1980s, the original film is called Let the Right One In, the tale of a 12 year-old boy who befriends a vampire girl.

Not much of the Swedish film's integrity was lost in translation. There are a few schematic changes; Oskar and Eli of the Swedish film become Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) and Abby (Chloe Moretz) in the American remake. "Squeal like a pig!" becomes "Are you scared, little girl?"-as Owen taunts his invisible playground nemesis (he is the victim of bullies.) Both films are bleak, cold, yet magical in the cinematography-although the American remake contains many scenes filled with dreamy sepia tones (a great way to highlight some of the bleakness of the early 1980s.) Director Matt Reeves really paid attention to details, from the desolate atmosphere all the way down to the wallpaper mural hanging in Owen's room. David Bowie's "Let's Dance" is featured prominently throughout the film. Whether this song has any real significance for the storyline is unclear--other than the fact that it was released in 1983 (when the movie takes place.)

There is an interesting dynamic taking place in each child's household. Despite what happens in the outside world, both Owen and Abby seem to "overtake" the adults they live with. Abby's "guardian" is clearly at her mercy, resigned to making sure that her appetite is fed. On the other hand, we never clearly see the face of Owen's mother; she is tangential to the scenes themselves, as well as to Owen. It becomes obvious very quickly that neither of his parents plays a significant role in his everyday existence. Reeves captures this dynamic beautifully.

Abby's first on-screen kill is very similar to the original Swedish version, although some of the circumstances surrounding the murder have been changed. The few CG effects used in the remake do nothing but fuel the horror: Abby's attack is winsome yet brutal, and unnervingly realistic. Let Me In presents other variations; but unlike many horror remakes, the changes do not affect any of the movie's major plot components.

However, unlike the Swedish version, the story begins in the present with much of the movie presented in a "flashback" of events that occurred a few weeks prior. For some reason, Americans seem to need certain elements included in their films to make things complete, namely gratuitous nudity (there is one tiny scene with an exposed breast)-and the explanation of things taking place on screen, hence the flashback presentation.

Unlike the Twilight series, Let Me In explores the delicate condition of young love, but wraps up all these feelings in the cloak of horror. The results are both stunning and terrifying. And contrasting most horror films, you feel empathy for Owen and his strange little vampire friend. There are no cookie-cutter scenarios. No warm and fuzzy Mom and Dad scenes. The austere surroundings are a direct reflection of life's very real unpleasantness. Owen lives in a broken home, like many in the world-a fact that plays heavily into the film's stark atmosphere.

The cast of Let Me In is largely unknown, save for Elias Koteas who portrays the harried police officer charged with solving the murders. But this isn't the type of film that serves as a Hollywood "Who's Who." With painfully poignant acting from the movie's two adolescent stars, Let Me In is the type of horror film that sticks with you long after the bloodlust has ended.