Let Me In is the American remake of the 2008 Swedish arthouse hit, Let the right One In, adapted from John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel. This horror/coming of age vampire story focuses on the friendship between bullied 12-year-old, Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) and his vampire neighbour, eternally 12-year-old Abby (Chloe Moretz). Coming so soon after the acclaimed foreign language original, is this an unnecessary remake?
While the original is a superior film, Matt Reeve’s (Cloverfield) remake is not without its charms. Wisely the American director has stuck close to the source material, with the snowy landscapes of a small New Mexico town standing in for the wintry Swedish countryside. Like its predecessor, Let Me In defies genre- avoiding the gothic romance and mythology of most vampire stories. Although there are scenes of violence, they are just as frequent in Owen’s world of school bullies as Abby’s world of blood thirst.
Let Me In’s ability to stand as a film in its own right is boosted by excellent performances from the two young actors who navigate the film’s dangerous world of prepubescence. Australian actor Smit-McPhee (The Road) perfectly transmits Owen’s sense of isolation and Kick-Ass star Moretz further proves her impressive acting chops. The film is buoyed by a fantastic supporting cast including Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) as Abby’s father/familiar and supreme character actor Elias Koteas (The Killer Inside Me) as the police inspector.
There is a certain heavy-handed sentimentality to Reeve’s film, which affects the film both positively and negatively. The closeness of Owen and Abby’s relationship is textured by the film’s sweeter moments, but the soundtrack is completely over-the-top and distracting. Surprisingly the film’s special effects are poor, Abby’s vampiric transformations jar with the surrounding action. However Australian DoP Greig Fraser (Bright Star) has done another incredible job with beautiful and exciting visuals, particularly some exceptionally shot car sequences.
Reeve can’t claim any originality with this film, but that shouldn’t take away from what has been accomplished. Respecting the nuances of the book and the first version, he has delivered a good film that will bring a wider audience to this superbly dark tale.
3.5/5
First Published in The Brag (11/10/2010)
