Synopsis: A bullied young boy befriends a young female vampire who lives in secrecy with her guardian.As a huge fan of the original version of this movie, Let The Right One In (reviewed here), I was pretty skeptical about even seeing this. Oh I don't mind remakes really, it's just that I didn't expect it to be very good. I was wrong. It's not as good as the original in my opinion, but judging it on it's own merit it's a damn fine horror movie.
It's a captivating film that's really more of atmospheric, creepy love story between 2 children (well, 1 child and 1 child-like vampire) than it is an all-out horror film. Oh there's horror and gore, but the majority of the film is subtle and creepy. This style may be boring to some, but I found it very well done and it really lets the characters build.
The majority of the screen time is between the 2 children and both parts are cast and played fantastically. I had sympathy for both. Chloe Moretz is so good it's creepy. Now with this film and Kick-Ass to her credit, she's quickly become one of my favorite young actresses.
But what I love most about it is that it keeps a lot of the vampire mythology without shoving it down your throat or making it all corny like say the Twilight films. The word vampire is only used once, and the subject isn't treated with sparkles and high school drama. It's a being with deep thoughts and in a lot of pain. It's not done in a real romantic sense either but throats are ripped out and blood is sprayed. Apparently being a vampire isn't as much about making it to class on time but about survival. Who knew?
Haunting, poetic, smart and powerful like the original, it's actually an excellent remake for a change.
8/10
