Set in the 1980s in Sweden, the LET THE RIGHT ONE IN tells the story of first love. Oskar, a bullied and completely dorky 12-year-old, meets Eli, a weird new arrival to the housing estate he lives in with his mother. Oskar has a hard time at school and he doesn’t seem to quite fit in anywhere, and it takes his friendship with Eli for him to have the confidence to stop being a victim, though their relationship is not without its own problems.
If Lars Von Trier made TWILIGHT, the LET THE RIGHT ONE IN would be the result. Set against a freezing landscape, the film is part horror, part mystery and part love story.
Eli is one of the most complex characters on screen. Played by Lina Leandersson starting in her first feature film, she appears vulnerable, needy and pathetic though the reality is that she has inhuman strength and survives on blood. Her relationship with the ‘father’ she lives with is complex and sinister, and it is impossible to work out who is really in charge, though you expect that Eli is the manipulator.
It is a beautiful and (forgive me for the cliché) haunting film that has a magical ability to linger days after seeing it. If you have read the book you will be pleased to see the essence of it captured on screen, though you may be surprised by both some of the charming comedy and gag-horror laughs that also find their way into the film.
Winner of over 20 awards already and in the pipeline to be remade in English, this film is going to be an instant classic for lovers of horror, vampires and independent cinema.
In cinemas 10 April 2009
Cert: 15
Running time: 114mins
Review: Sara Passmore