LET ME IN (a review)

LET ME IN (a review)

This is the America remake of LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, the fantastic Swedish film about a young boy who is bullied at school and befriends a young female vampire. The Swedish film was dark and disturbing, but also oddly beautiful as the relationship between the boy and the girl is both sweet and sad. Will the American version, directed by Matthew Sturges (CLOVERFIELD) measure up? (The answer is no.)

The story: set in early 80's New Mexico, this is the story of a young 12-year old boy, the only child of a single mom, who is bullied at school. Then one night he meets a young girl who says she cannot be his friend. However, the next night he has a Rubick's cube and since she likes puzzles they become friends. at the same time, her handler -- the human who assists in hiding her and getting her blood -- is killed and she turns to the boy for help in hiding her from the policeman chasing her.

Was it good?

Yes. It was good. It's a solid, interesting take on vampire films. As silly as MY BODYGUARD with a vampire might sound, it is the relationship between the boy and the girl, at once once as sweet as any friendship between two lonely people can be, and also horrifying as we know only bad things can come of it.

So why doesn't it measure up to the original?

There are a few reasons. The strongest is the relationship between the boy and the girl. In the original Swedish film, there is a much stronger bleakness to the world they present. It is winter and dark and cold and there is little happiness. There are several scenes of old men drinking in a tavern who seem to have no life at all, just these pathetic men. It's a stark vision that makes the small moments of connection between the boy and the girl that much sweeter. The New Mexico landscape just doesn't give Matt Reeves anything as strong to work with.

Next is the bullying. In the original there was something horrifyingly real to it. The vampire element wasn't scary -- in fact it is usually played for laughs -- but the scenes with the bullying really got under my skin. Here, while they are well presented they never seem to cut as deep.

Last is the ending. In the original it is somehow both sweet and horrible as these two children connect and yet we know what is in store for the boy. There is also a greater ambiguity in the original -- did the girl set the boy up, manipulating him into this? Does she feel for him at all? In the American version, it never reaches that moment, never seems to have that ambiguity.

So the American version is good, but it feels like a watered down version of the original, never quite reaching the horrifying or tenderness of the original.

The original is fantastic. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN gets my highest recommendation *** MUST SEE ***

The American version, LET ME IN...

**** RENTAL ****