Season 1: Let the Right One In (2008)

Oskar, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl.

Jess' Review

Let The Right One In (2008) has been on my radar for years, and with glowing reviews for this brooding, Swedish horror, it’s an insult that it took me so long to watch. However, naturally, I made the most of the opportunity to make Sam watch a horror and so here we are, arguing once more, on Lockdown Film Reviews.

Based on John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel of the same name, Tomas Alfredson takes the directorial reins of this adaptation, that follows the blossoming friendship between outsiders, Oskar (Kare Hedebrant) and Eli (Lina Leandersson). Children from two very different worlds (and it shouldn’t be a spoiler to say that Eli is a vampire), the common theme here is loneliness. There’s a quiet sadness permeating this film even before we’re met with actively upsetting scenes - and trust me, they’re a-coming. The tone is bleak, almost mournful, but littered with these beautiful moments of heart, a welcome respite.

Let The Right One In is gorgeous. It’s a visual masterpiece with some of the best cinematography I’ve seen in recent memory. Expansive, lingering shots of impossibly still, snow-covered woodlands are stunning, but also unnerving. Even the residential backdrop, flats presumably full of occupants, is captured in such a light that it’s not only worthy of hanging on the wall, but also feels deserted. It’s a quiet film, with the mood entirely reflected in it’s pensive, thoughtful composition.

For me, the story is engaging, taking calculated steps in its journey to revealing Eli’s truth. It takes its time, a slow burn, but there’s always something dark happening alongside our leads. Anything with Eli’s familiar, Hakan (Per Ragnar), was quick to put me on edge. The second half picks up the pace, and I find myself enthralled with these beautiful, but brutal, moments of horrific violence. Even putting aside the attack scenes themselves (which are often sudden and non-lingering), there are plenty of times where we’re met with haunting, hard-hitting gore. One that springs to mind concerns Eli entering Oskar’s home uninvited (we love the vampire lore in this film) in a scene that is now permanently etched into my brain.

I really loved this film, but honestly, not quite as much as I’d hoped. Whilst I think it’s nothing short of a work of art, and that the characters are thoughtful and engaging; I was expecting a little more emotion. This is exactly the kind of film that should make me sob and I feel like with a little push, it could’ve. That being said, the horror elements are amazing. And that pool scene has shot right to the upper echelons of my all-time favourite, horror moments.

8.5/10

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Sam's Review

Films are nuanced versions of storytelling, a marriage of craft and art. An arduous task. One where time and energy is exhausted figuring out the finer details of cinematography, mise-en-scène, editing, soundtrack, writing, and more. So to define a film with a single word is thoughtless. Yet when I think on Let the Right One In the word bleak resounds in my mind. Sometimes there is a stark beauty to the bleakness, though often I find that I am bored by it.

The desolate, snowy landscape is straight out of a dark fantasy. The cold, bare apartment blocks set a gritty tone. Visually sombre, the setting is captivating. At first it seems off, but I realise that is because Hollywood films are so nauseatingly polished, that the realness of each shot takes some getting used to.

I think Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) is meant to be endearing, but I struggle to connect with the character. That is not to criticise Hedebrant’s acting. On the contrary, Oskar is played as an isolated and disorientated child, in a world that seemingly has no place for him. And his bond with Eli is oddly fascinating. Yet there’s a weird creepiness, for example, collecting news clippings of murders.

Eli, played by Lina Leandersson, but voiced by Elif Ceylan, is cleverly nuanced. An old soul in an eternally young body. Yet there are depths left unexplored. The frustration and confusion that she must feel trapped in an adolescent body. Yes, it’s touched upon with a smart line, but it isn’t examined.

The story is stunted. Little actually happens. Brilliant amounts of potential, and at times it is a phenomenal film. But it is hampered by what it lacks. Why no deeper scrutiny of vampiric culture? Why is Eli alone, instead of being in a coven? Even simpler questions create issues, why isn’t Oskar’s mum cognisant of what her son is doing?

Clearly it is an objectively good film. The cinematography is desolate and beautiful. Subtle, nuanced acting. Yet I find myself bored by it all. The bleak landscape has drawn me in, and I can no longer find myself caring about any of it. Most of the story would have been redundant if Oskar’s parents or teachers paid the slightest attention to him. Still, as vampire films go – should I write it…? – it’s fangtastic.

7/10