Let the Right One In

Elegant is not usually a word one uses to describe a horror film. Nor are words like serene, delicate, or ethereal. But those are perfectly fitting descriptions of the Swedish import, Let the Right One In. However one could also be equally right saying that it’s violent, bloody, and disturbing. The film veers to both extremes, much like its main characters Oskar and Eli. They’re like two sides of the same coin.

Oskar is a lonely middle school boy who is constantly and cruelly bullied by stronger kids in his class. From the beginning we can see a rage building within him, but he doesn’t have the courage to stand up for himself. Oskar finds a friend in Eli, an equally lonely girl who moves in next door. What Oskar later learns is that Eli is a vampire, which he accepts without batting an eye. The two realize they are kindred spirits and form a relationship.

Let the Right One In leaves in a lot of blanks to be filled in by the viewers. The biggest inquiries probably surround Eli’s relationship with the questionable middle-aged man, Håkan, that she lives with. He kills for her to support her blood drinking habit. But he’s getting sloppy with the murders. He nearly gets caught in his first kill of the film. Does he want to get caught? And why does he later go through great lengths to protect her? In the book that the film was based on, Håkan is a pedophile that is being used by Eli. This is barely hinted at in the film. Also handled abstractedly is the issue of Eli’s androgynous gender. The vagueness is a double-edged sword for the film. On one hand, it’s nice to not beaten over the head with some facts, but on the other some threads feel unfinished.

One thing I cannot go without mentioning is the cinematography. The numerous shots of snowy Sweden are lovely and calm. They still maintain that look in contrast to the carnage that fouls the landscape. The shots are also frequently wide and pulled back, distancing us from the violence. One of the best things about the film is that the violence isn’t glamorized or overdone. It is bloody, but it’s not played out like in other recent horror films.

Perhaps more discomforting than the blood sucking is the bullying that Oskar endures. But anyone who was bullied as a kid will be glad to know that the punks get their comeuppance. Oskar finds courage from Eli to fight back. I really liked their understated relationship, and the differences between them. He’s weak, she’s strong. He wants to kill, but she has to kill to live. The development of their relationship takes prevalence over a strong story, so thankfully it’s a pleasure to watch.

The film has a lot going for it but it isn’t perfect. I felt a little underwhelmed after watching it. Maybe it was because critics almost universally praised it that my expectations were too high. One thing that bothered me though was that I spotted the ending coming a mile away. Without giving too much away, I will say that the climax is done in a pretty spectacular way. It just wasn’t a surprise, but maybe it didn’t need to be. I hope that I don’t come across too harshly because this is a really good film. I just didn’t enjoy it as much as some other critics. But this is still one of the best horror films to come out in a long time.

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