In 2008, the Norwegian horror film, Let the Right One In, based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist hit the horror scene to much praise. I named it my top film in 2008, and was very impressed by the way the film was made, its storyline and its overall suspenseful appeal. It was destined to be remade in the United States, and two years later, from the grave that once buried the horror label Hammer Films, the rebirth of the company would make the remake of Let the Right One In be the film that raises Hammer films.
Re-titled Let Me In, the plot of the film is still the same as in the original film with a few changes that make the storyline better. A young boy, Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee), lives with his religious mother in a small apartment complex. Owen is outcast among his peers and is bullied and beat upon daily. After school, he spends time eating candy and hanging out in the courtyard of the apartment complex. One evening, he is approached by Abby (Chloe Moretz), a young girl similar in age, and the two begin to talk. Owen first thinks that Abby is weird. He only sees her at night, and at first the two really don’t get along. However, as each night passes and the both of them find themselves in the same place at the same time, the two form a bond and begin hanging out together. Abby helps Owen out with his bullying problems, while Owen tries to show Abby what it is like to hang out, explore and have a good time. However, when Owen tries to make a blood pact with Abby, she turns into a vampire and Owen learns Abby’s dark secret. After Owen learns the truth about what has happened in the past few weeks, Owen and Abby still remain close friends and form an even tighter bond. Owen helps Abby escape the daylight, and Abby helps Owen face his fears.
When I watched Let the Right One In, I sat on my couch with a jaw wide open and relentlessly praised the film. I did the same thing for Let Me In, in fact I enjoyed Let Me In more. The two films are pretty much the same movie, with a few exceptions in Let Me In, we see Abby as a vampire, doing her killings, as opposed to in Let the Right One In where almost everything is done off screen. However, the famous ending is done pretty much shot for shot, so don’t feel cheated by it. The remake does the original a lot of justice, and in my opinion is superior.
Let Me In is the perfect horror film. It has perfect pacing, a wonderful script, great acting and awesome effects. It’s a tastefully done horror film where there really is no villain other than the bullies that pick on Owen. It is almost like a coming of age love story, the loss of youthful innocence. There are a lot of Romeo and Juliet references, and the relationship between Owen and Abby is very similar. Altogether, the story is well-rounded.
The Blu-ray disc has many features and also comes with a digital copy of the film. There is Audio commentary with Director Matt Reeves, a few making of featurettes such as From the Inside: A Look at the Making of Let Me In, The Art of Special Effects, The Car Crash Sequence, and Dissecting Let Me In. The disc also includes deleted scenes, and a Trailer and Poster gallery.
Acclaimed horror writer Stephen King is quoted on the front cover of the Blu-ray saying Let Me In is “The Best American Horror Film in the Last 20 Years”. I’m not sure if I agree entirely with that statement, but he’s damned close to being right. It is the best horror film of 2010, and I highly recommend it. If you are a fan of the original, you will really enjoy this one, even with its little changes, you will agree that together, they are both perfect films.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
