Let the Right One In

The Plot: A story of love between Oskar, a socially ostracized child, and Eli, a twelve year-old vampire.

The Pros: This is a beautifully filmed tale. The shots are long and patient, and the scenery is quietly isolated in the winter of Sweden. As a plus, the vampire attacks are not shocking; rather they are astoundingly quick, detached, and indeed made infinitely more watchable by the actress playing Eli, Lena Leandersson. Her image of true innocence coupled with a strong sense of duty allows us to pity her existence while still having an intense adoration for her. Finally, the love between Eli and Oskar is truly unique and therefore very pleasing to watch.

The Cons: Unfortunately, the film is slightly long-winded for the story it tries to tell. It is a worthwhile story, but I found the narrative dragging on a bit unnecessarily at times.

The Bottom Line: Let the Right One In breathes new life into an exhausted genre. It's not an action film with lots and lots of blood, but that's the beautiful thing about it. Through a simple and hugely enjoyable love story, we are allowed to witness the struggle of a singular vampire; it is this that makes the film so important and worth watching.

The Score: 8.5 / 10