A new vampire movie is now in theaters about an adolescent vampire and Robert Pattinson is nowhere in sight. Christmas just came early this year. Or perhaps Halloween.
Let Me In is a remake of the Swedish film Let the Right One In, a dark vampire horror set in a small town and starring a whole lot of actors that nobody’s probably ever heard of before. But that definitely shouldn’t be a deterrent. Both films feature very fine acting, especially from their child stars, and both movies are loaded with good old-fashioned vampire horror fun.
Let Me In follows a little boy named Owen, played by Kodi Smit-McPhee, who is constantly picked on at school due to the fact that he, unfortunately in his pre-pubescent years, looks a lot like a little girl. Then Abby, a real little girl played by Chloe Moretz, although she is quick to tell him coyly that she is not really a little girl, moves in and they begin a budding pre-pubescent romance. Abby turns out to be a vampire, and not a sparkly one at that. A full-blown run-of-the-mill vampire we’ve all been missing during these Twilight years. She can’t do sunlight, eat people food, or feel the cold.
As Abby and Owen’s romance blossoms, a mysterious string of murders start popping up around town. Abby’s father executes the murders as he goes out to get her blood. The guy, who remains nameless, actually turns out to be a pretty crappy serial killer and begs the question of why exactly Abby needs him, when she is more than capable in her 12-year-old body to turn a full grown and well-built man into a happy meal; but we go with it because it’s entertaining to watch him bumble around.
The movie’s horror elements and surprise ending are sure to keep any newcomers to the franchise well on the edge of their seats. Watching a 12-year-old girl tackle a woman out of a tree and then tear into her neck like a Robert Pattinson trading card pack is hauntingly gruesome as well as incredibly awesome. Not a lot was given towards special effects as a whole but the letting of the audience make up a lot of what was happening in their own heads is a tried and true way to really make a scary movie special.
Fans of Let the Right One In can be assured that the spirit of the original was kept well preserved. In fact, spirit, mind, soul and a large part of the body were kept intact. Some scenes almost feel like they were flat out copied from the original and just put through a Hollywood million dollar filter, and most of the dialogue felt a little copy-pasted, but it’s presentation was flawless.
After seeing Let Me In, it’ll come as little surprise if someone ties Stephanie Meyer down and screams into her ear, “This is how a vampire story is told. This is what makes vampires awesome.”
