Lina Leandersson portrays Eli, a young, mysterious girl who helps plot her neighbor's revenge in Let the Right One In. Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing.
The only thing chillier than the constant snow falling is the loneliness and bullying endured by Oskar, the 12-year-old protagonist in the Swedish film Let The Right One In, now available on DVD.
Virtually ignored by his divorced parents, Oskar (Kare Hedebrant), is an awkward child with an interest in crime although he’s reluctant to fight his tormentors despite his revenge plotting.
Enter Eli (Lina Leandersson), Oskar’s new neighbor and perpetual 12-year old. She is accompanied by an unknown older man, who is best described as her caretaker. The caretaker’s role in the largely ambiguous relationship involves helping Eli obtain her meals without implicating her or getting caught.
Though director Tomas Alfredson shows death and gore through the film, it is not glamorized as in other films of the same genre.
While vampires are generally considered monsters, the real malevolent force in the film is the solitude the protagonists share and being largely overlooked in society. Rather than focusing on the horror, the main component of the film is in the remoteness of the landscape and the lack of meaningful social interaction among peers or family members in Oskar’s life.
A dark and ominous mood is prevalent throughout the film, as one relates to the isolation Oskar feels in the Scandinavian winter nights and his growing attraction to Eli.
The title, taken from the Morrissey song “Let the Right One Slip In,” is also part of the vampire myth included in the story, as Eli needs to be invited to enter a person’s home. As Oskar and Eli find solace in each other’s company, he is made aware of her true nature through a series of gruesome events that brings them closer.
While the Twilight craze continues among the teenage girls and (occasionally) their mothers, better films might be overlooked in the midst of the fad frenzy. Don’t let this one follow suit.
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Let The Right One In
From Magnolia Pictures
Director: Tomas Alfredson
Rated: R, for gore and violence.
Kare Hedebrant (Oskar) and Lina Leandersson (Eli)