Vampire movies have become somewhat predictable in recent years. However, I just watched the movie Let the Right One In that completely changed all that, and gave me new hope for these kinds of films. Quite often in film, an original take on a particular genre is what is needed to reinvigorate your love of that genre, and that is exactly what this movie did for me.
Let the Right One In is a Swedish film that tells the story of Oskar, a young boy who gets bullied constantly at school who befriends Eli, a girl who just moved in next door. What is particularly moving about this story is that Eli does not desire Oskar in the way she desires other people. Oskar sees Eli as an opportunity to make a new friend, which intrigues Eli. There is also a certain innocence about Oskar that makes Eli believe they can be good friends, even in the face of her horrifying secret.
Tomas Alfredson directed this film brilliantly. Let the Right One In takes place during Winter, thus making the cinematography hauntingly beautiful because it perfectly captures the contrast of the white of the snow, and the red of the blood. I also loved the use of the camera in this film. The shots are just a little longer and wider at times than most films, which really gives you a sense of scope and overwhelming fear.
Vampire films are one of my favorite kinds of movies for many reasons. There is a certain mystery, a certain sensuality about vampire films that has always attracted me to them. After seeing their popularity dwindle within the past several years, it was quite refreshing to watch a movie that completely reinvented not only vampire movies, but horror movies in general.
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