Let Me In

When I heard that this film was being remade in America, my first thought was "Why?". I saw the original two years ago at a festival and it was beautiful, moving and dark.

Had I not seen the original, I may have liked the remake. Although, it still would not have captivated me in the same way. The two child actors playing Owen & Abby I have to say do a wonderful job in their roles. The story is there. But that is where it ended for me.

I was really disappointed, shocked even, to see the use of cgi. Why. It was so not needed. The music, the setting... It just didn't bring anything.

What bothered me even more was that sentimental and intimate scenes which had been drawn out so beautifully in the original, caused audiences to giggle and laugh out loud. It didn't carry itself as a serious film.

I can find no point to the remake of this movie other then to bring it to an audience that can't be bothered to watch movies with subtitles. But what should be realized is that that kind of audience, big screen - big budget, is not there to appreciate the beauty of original film making and non-standard stories.

The original film was a masterpiece. The remake I'm sad to say does not do anything for a truly unique story.

Matt Reeves, who is most famous for his monster film "Cloverfield", took on the task of adapting and directing this film. Two years ago, film festivals were in love with the Swedish Horror film "Let the Right One In" and it was almost a given that it was needed to be made American. In our culture vampires have kind of turned into more of romantic figures and a lot of times represent sexuality. This film goes back to basics and makes this vampire what I think they are sup post to be, which is completely scary and messed up. What is very impressive is that Reeves takes this and in a way, his changes actually enhance the story and kind of makes it better and more entertaining. Kodi Smith-McPhee who was spectacular in last year's "The Road" and Chloe Moretz who received most of her fame as Hit-Girl in this year's "Kick-Ass" carry this film and both of these kids bring a type of eeriness; these kids both knew exactly how their characters were sup post to be and they hit it spot on. This gory, terrifying, and dark film turns into some type of odd entertainment and represents why people would even want to see a horror film; it has a strong story and an even stronger scare. Instead of going over the top Reeves bends this movie into a tension roller-coaster more than anything. Very rarely can a foreign film be successfully adapted and made a success in America, but Reeves made something that can stand a distance from the original, but still he true to its origin. It is a great movie for the Halloween season, it will most likely refresh people who are used to "American Vampires" and give them a real vampire movie

I have seen the original Let The Right One in, and when I heard of a remake I was skeptical. Why did we need a remake this soon? However, I approached it with open eyes, as I have seen very faithful remakes in the past. I thought that the Swedish version was a good, sometimes very good film, but I ended up loving this new version.

I knew what story was coming, but I also knew that the journey is in the experience. Let Me In does a great job of creating a mood and tone that, while similar to the original's, it also adds a fresh perspective on it. That is in part thanks to the director Matt Reeves. I have only seen his previous film Cloverfield and while it is entertaining and rewatchable, I had no idea he was capable of the subtlety that is needed for this story. The cinematography is itself also amazing, and there are some shots that will linger in my memory.

Part of what I liked better in this version were the performances. Honestly, I think Chloe Moretz is just as great as the original performance, but I think the film definitely belongs to Kodi Smit- McPhee. He gives an incredible performance full of nuance and longing, and I do not recall being this impressed with the boy in the original version. I also feel the need to stop comparing them because a film should stand-alone on it's own, and this certainly does. It is a horror film, a drama, and a love story all in one, and along with the original, are vampire films to be celebrated among all the others in this time.

Reeves has done it. Saw this at Fantastic Fest with director and cast present and I have to say I was very impressed. The acting is great as my heart went out to Kodi's character Owen. I honestly wanted to jump into the screen and make the cruelty stop. It was heartbreaking. Chloe is a wonderful actress and she portrays Abby very well. I wanted a bit more from that character but it is good. The scenes together are very good and sweet. Jenkins who plays the caregiver is very very good. His portrayal is a very real and creepy take. His means of attaining victims was chilling. His character climax is great, my jaw dropped.

Reeves does a wonderful job with cinematography and I loved the setting. I have been eagerly awaiting this movie and I was not disappointed. If you have seen the original you still haven't seen Let Me In.

Really? Your going to remake a movie 3 years after it was released? Is that even necessary? About a year ago, i use to feel this way about this production. Seriously, just go to the video store and watch the original....it's cheaper than going to the theater. But then i realized that it isn't that simple. If you want to show people good cinema, you really need to force them to watch it. Honestly, if i told someone to go to the video store and rent an awesome Swedish vampire movie, they would probably skip my suggestion, and pick up "Couples Retreat" or some crap. The only way someone would even view a portion of this film, is if they came over to my house, as i am in the middle of watching "Let The Right One In", they sit down and finally ask "What movie is this again?". So no, i am no longer dissing this movie, because in order for people to truly accept something good and different, it needs to be shoved in their faces.

Now when it comes to reviewing remade movies, all you can do is compare and contrast. So let me go ahead and get that out of the way so i can speak to the majority of you who have not seen it. The film is not an exact carbon copy of the original. However, it still has the same working parts. Sure they changed things around a bit, nothing too major......but they really did hit the nail on the head by still maintaining the overall eseccense of what this movie promotes, and that is crucial for this feature. The one thing that they did improve on however, was the musical score. It was more developed and very fitting to the gritty style of cinematography. It took those really eerie yet intriguing sequences, and made them that much more entertaining. As far as the acting, i am leaning towards the original, but it is a very VERY close race.

So with that being said, this movie is probably the best horror movie of the year. Yes, it is a remake, but i don't care. All these original ideas still do not compete with something that obviously works. This movie is very dark, the way a vampire movie should be. Not with it's gore, which is amped up by the way, but it's method of storytelling. That is the hook in this film. That is what gets you. It isn't some crybaby teen heartthrob, it is an in-depth storyline told in an entertaining yet odd fashion. It is very different compared to any vampire movie you have seen. Take Kiersten Dunst character in "Interview with a Vampire", and make a whole movie about her.....thats pretty much what this is.......somewhat.

Bottom Line, hopefully this movie will bitch slap all those wannabe vampire geeks harder the second time around, because this is how you make a vampire movie people. Yes, i still like the original more, but this movie gets as close to the original as you possibly can get, and that is saying a lot in my book. I urge all of you to see this, because there is a reason why they wanted to remake it so quickly. However, if you do get the chance, please still try to watch the original.