Directed by: Thomas Alfredson

Price: £17.99

Reviewed by Fergus McShane

[ratings]

Long have vampires inhabited our screens. And like the mythical monsters themselves, vampire films often seem to have everlasting life and the ability to be reborn with every generation. Let the Right One In is the latest of these rebirths and easily one of the best.

Containing all the freshness of the Swedish landscape, the film circles around the relationship between two children – Oskar a lonely boy and Eli a reclusive vampire. The pair naturally come together, forming a friendship (with childish allusions to more) out of isolation and become the focal point of this chilling, often brutal tale.

With all the glamour of the ‘vampire’ wholly removed, we get a glimpse of a ‘true’ demon. Reclusive (living in a bare council flat), fearful of people, being pulled between blood-lust and not wanting to draw attention, Eli lives a miserable life looked after by a murderous, highly disturbing father figure.

The relationship between Oskar and Eli highlights the quality of the film and indeed the novel it is based on. Moving from childishly naïve to playful to horrific and tender, the pair forms the heart of an astonishing piece of cinema.

Alfredson has somehow brought a little bit of love and light into the darkest of landscapes, showing a new side to the vampire in the process. Definitely the right one to let in!

Other articles you may be interested in: