Let Me In (2010) Overture/Horror RT: 116 minutes Rated R (strong bloody horror violence, language, a brief sexual situation) Director: Matt Reeves Screenplay: Matt Reeves Music: Michael Giacchino Cinematography: Greig Fraser Release date: October 1, 2010 (US) Cast: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Grace Moretz, Richard Jenkins, Cara Buono, Elias Koteas, Sasha Barrese, Dylan Kenin, Chris Browning, Ritchie Coster, Dylan Minnette, Jimmy “Jax” Pinchak, Nicolai Dorian, Rebekah Wiggins. Box Office: $12.1M (US)/$27M (World)
Rating: ****
My all-time favorite vampire movie is the 2008 Swedish film Let the Right One In, an adaptation of the 2004 novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist. It’s NOT the kind of vampire movie American audiences have become accustomed to. The vampire doesn’t look like a member of an 80s hair metal band. She doesn’t sparkle in the sun either. It takes the idea of vampires as seriously as either version of Nosferatu. Imagine if Ingmar Bergman made a vampire movie. It would be like LTROI.
When I heard an Americanized remake was on the horizon, I damn near choked on my Coke Zero. It was impossible for me to believe it would even come close to doing the original source justice. Usually, when Americans attempt to redo a foreign film, they screw it up royally. Also, there was a good chance the makers would water it down to a PG-13 to appease studio execs less concerned with art than selling tickets to kids. LTROI is NOT meant for kids despite its two main characters being 12YO (more or less). In any event, my fears were allayed once I saw the finished product. To my delighted surprise, Let Me In is that rare instance when a remake is actually decent. I’d even say it’s as good as the original. That, let me assure you, is high praise coming from me.
The plot of Let Me In is more of less the same as the original save for a few details. Obviously, the setting has been changed. It now takes place in wintry Los Alamos, NM circa 1983. Why 1983? I guess so the writers can throw in references to Reagan, Ms. Pac-Man and Rubik’s Cube. The main character Owen (McPhee, The Road) is lonely and unhappy. A child of divorce, he’s neglected by both his alcoholic, religious mother and absentee dad. At school, he’s the target of a sadistic bully (Minnette, Don’t Breathe) who refers to him as a “little girl” while beating on him. He spends most nights hanging out alone in the empty courtyard of his apartment building.
One night while looking through his telescope, he spots new neighbors, a young girl and her father (presumably), moving in next door. Her name is Abby (Moretz, Kick-Ass) and he can’t help but notice she’s unusual. It must be the bare feet and the funny odor. Although she pointedly tells Owen they can’t be friends, a friendship does develop between the two kids. To be honest, I’m not sure if Abby qualifies as a kid. When asked how old she is, she replies, “Twelve. But I’ve been twelve for a very long time.”
It’s no big secret. Abby is a vampire and requires fresh blood to survive. That’s where the older man (Jenkins, Step Brothers) enters the picture. He’s her guardian meaning he watches over her while she sleeps during the day. He’s also the one that goes on blood runs for her, attacking victims and draining them of their blood. His time with Abby is nearing its end. It’s time for her to find a new companion. She sets her sights on Owen.
There’s a slight wrinkle in the fold in the form of a detective (Koteas, Chicago PD) who starts snooping around after the body of a teenager is discovered. He’s convinced it’s the work of a Satanic cult and goes on the hunt. If he figures out what’s really going on, it would be very bad for Abby who does herself no favors when she attacks a neighbor and doesn’t finish her off.
Directed by Matt Reeves (Cloverfield), who also adapted Lindqvist’s original screenplay, Let Me In is remarkable for several reasons not the least of which is it restores credibility to a genre drained of blood by a certain popular franchise. Instead of glittering vampires and moon-eyed teen romance, it gives us terror wrapped in a shroud of despair. Both Owen and Abby alienate themselves from their peers and the adult world around them. The only adults of any real consequence are the guardian and the detective. The neighbors are always shown at a distance. Reeves emphasizes Owen’s feeling of disconnect by never showing a full-view shot of his mother and his father being only a voice on the phone. In addition, he effectively uses the snowy landscapes to convey the boy’s sense of isolation. It works due in no small part to Greig Fraser’s stark cinematography.
The performances by the two young leads are superb. In an early role, Moretz established herself as a young actress to watch. She’s amazing as Abby, a girl who’s not really a girl, an old soul with the body of a pre-pubescent. She’s been around a while and understands Owen better than he thinks. She’s the one who encourages him to stand up to his bully which he finally does in a great scene. McPhee adds a haunting quality to his character with his pale complexion, scrawny body and fearful looks. He’s a boy living in misery until his new friend provides a possible way out. What’s interesting about their relationship is neither one appears interested in sex. Owen hasn’t hit puberty yet; Abby…. well, she’s Abby. Owen’s idea of intimacy is hugging; it seems like Abby’s never been hugged before.
I guess you can infer from my comments that Let Me In is not your traditional horror movie. It has scares, blood and freaky scenes like Abby ascending the side of a building, but it’s really more of a mood piece. It’s creepy, eerie and melancholy. It also contains a hint of nostalgia with its early 80s setting. Reeves makes excellent use of Reagan’s infamous “Evil Empire” speech. He was referring to the Soviets (remember the Cold War?), but it hits a nerve with Owen for an entirely different reason. Let Me In really is a brilliant film on many levels. Most importantly, it makes vampires scary again. Take that, Teams Edward and Jacob!
