Let Me In

Viewer Rating:MicealJ has rated Let Me In rating: 4 Star

There is no question that 'Let Me In' is an excellent film. It is beautifully acted, tightly scripted and made with a real love and respect for its source material. It is chilling and uncompromising in its portrayal of what is essentially a doomed love story. Yes this is definitely a class film. The only problem is that it was also a great film two years ago when it was in Swedish and was called 'Let The Right One In'. If you've seen that one you really don't need to see this – and I suppose vice versa. While not quite a frame for frame remake of the original it nevertheless tells the very same story in a very similar way. Both are set in the 1980s in a snow-covered small town only this time it's New Mexico and the people are speaking English.
Owen is a lonely 12 year old, neglected by his God-bothering mother and practically forgotten by his absent father. He is mercilessly bullied at school and has no friends until he meets new neighbour Abby – who only comes out at night. She is also 12 but as the tag-line for both films states – she has been for a very long time. Soon people in the town start disappearing as Abby's 'father' goes out at night – hunting on her behalf.
There is nothing to fault here, everything is beautifully done and the growing friendship and love between Abby and Owen is sensitively handled even as you become more and more aware that Owen may one day grow up to be her 'father' too. In fact this new version implies that more implicitly than the last when we see an old black and white photograph of Abby – and a young friend. Again the film is carried almost entirely on the young shoulders of the two leads – and again they do a marvellous job. Kodi Smit-McPhee and Chloe Moretz convey perfectly the fear and vulnerability of an impossible situation – you really feel for these two and desperately hope things will work out for them.
If you haven't seen 'Let The Right One In' then this is well worth your time, if you have – it still is but bear in mind there's very little new to see.

Review published on the 07 November 2010 17:17