LET ME IN Movie Review

LET ME IN is based on John Ajvide Lindqvist’s Swedish novel Lat den Ratte Komma In (Let The Right One In) and movie of the same name. It tells the story of a friendship between a 12-year-old boy Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) and a mysterious girl, Abby (Chloe Moretz), who we soon find out is actually a vampire.

Let Me In is a vampire movie like you have never seen before. I absolutely loved it and at the risk of outraging a few people, I thought it was even better than the original swedish movie. Now before you start throwing things at me, let me first say that one of the reasons I probably didn’t enjoy the original movie, Let The Right One In, as much as most people did is because by the time I saw it, it had been way overhyped. Not that I didn’t like it, but I just didn’t love it. And so I stand by my statement that (to me at least) Let Me In is better than the original. It touched me so much more and is a must-see this weekend. But enough comparing Let Me In with the original, how about I tell you what was so good about it as a movie and why you should take time to see it.

First off, as I said it’s a really original vampire movie mainly because I wouldn’t really describe it as a vampire movie. Yes, there is a vampire element in it, but it’s merely a plot device to tell a really powerful story. And that story is about the pain of growing up. Owen is an outcast boy who gets viciously bullied at school and ironically ends up finding love and comfort with Abby, a vampire. Their bond is so powerful I don’t think I have ever seen this portrayed in a movie so beautifully between kids.

Which leads me to talking about the acting. Kodi Smit-McPhee and Chloe Moretz are so good that they put to shame 80% of all adult actors in movies today. The story is good, but these two just bring it to life. Kodi Smit-McPhee has this incredible vulnerability that he brings to the part, that will make you heart melt, and I’ll honestly admit to crying quite a few times throughout the movie (I know right, who would’ve thought this would be so emotional?!). And Chloe Moretz, well get ready to be blown away. If these two don’t get any sort of award or recognition then I would very, very surprised and disappointed.

Richard Jenkins and Elias Koteas also play significant parts in the film as Abby’s “Father” and a police officer respectively. I don’t think I need to expand on how great these two seasoned actors were in the film, but let’s just say that they fit right in.

Finally, I would like to talk about director Matt Reeves’ approach to the film. The look of the film is very dark and the pace is pretty slow, letting you take in every single moment and giving you the feel for this uneventful town. Yet, there isn’t a dull moment. Matt Reeves comes up with so many interesting shots even in the most simple scenes. He really lets you see the events unfold through the eyes of Owen and I have to mention an interesting fact. If you pay attention during the movie, you will notice that we never really see the face of Owen’s mom. You’ll see her from far, out of focus or her body with the head out of frame. It’s not something that you would necessarily notice, but I think it’s quite a interesting choice and achieves quite a lot in the telling of the story. I was enthralled.

If you are a film lover, this is one you cannot miss. It will touch you in more ways than one. And even though it is classified as a horror film, I definitely wouldn’t call it that. Yes, there are some violent scenes, but as a non-horror fan, I say Let Me In was brilliant.

Let Me In comes out to theaters today, Friday October 1. Go see it.