Oskar is a lonely boy mercilessly bullied in school who spends his free time pretending to stab his tormentors, telling them to squeal like a pig and compiling a scrapbook full of articles depicting murder and mayhem.  He makes his first friend when Eli moves into his apartment complex.  At first, he thinks little of the fact that he only sees her at night, she lives alone with a middle aged man and she has forgotten things... like how to be cold as she walks through the snow with no shoes.  Soon, however, there are things about his new friend that he can't ignore.  Like when he cuts his hand and offers to deepen their friendship by mixing blood, and she growls like a dog and laps up the dripping blood, demanding that he leave the room immediately.  

When Eli's bumbling companion consistently fails to bring her blood, she must resort to attacking and killing her own victims, which is one of the reasons she is constantly on the move.  "To Flee is to Live.  To Linger, Death" is what she tells Oskar in a note.  She also tells Oskar that to end the bullying, he has to fight back as hard as he can.  He takes her advice, which later leads to the final bloody scene.

The 2008 Swedish movie Let the Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in) has been met with much praise and critical acclaim.  I expected a little bit of horror, a little bit of innocent, prepubescent, inter-species romance, maybe some coming of age clichés.  I got a little bit of those things but in a very different way than I'd expected. 

Though the two main characters, Oskar and Eli, flirt a bit, I never got the feeling that there was any budding romance.  Besides the fact that Eli is a somewhat androgynous character, she tells Oskar on more than one occasion that she's not a girl and when Oskar sneaks a look at her while she's dressing, a disturbing waist-to-thigh image leaves the viewer wondering if she isn't just telling him the truth.  There are enough moments in the film where the viewer is forcibly reminded that Eli, though stuck in the body of a twelve-year-old, is still very animalistic.  I was left with the (maybe misguided?) feeling that Eli wasn't looking for romance from Oskar, but rather looking for a Renfield to help her through her immortal life, using the tools at her disposal to foster loyalty and love.  

There are some scenes of violence and blood.  This is after all a vampire movie.  But nothing like what we've become desensitized to in recent movies a la Saw and Hostel.  Most of the really nasty violence occurs with either distance or an obstacle between the viewer and the mayhem.  Very little CGI was used, and the one scene that sticks in my mind (Virginia's demise for those who've seen it) was pretty impressive against the backdrop of the cold, snowy Swedish setting that dominates most of the movie. 

Unfortunately, though I never appreciate being spoon fed answers in movies, too much was left unexplained for me to love this like other people appear to love it.  Why was Eli's human guardian so devoted to her?  Did she find him, like Oskar, as a young boy?  Was she a girl?  A castrated boy, like in the book?  There was a very odd scene with Oskar's father that I really don't know what to make of.  The pacing of Let the Right One In was slow, but that could be forgiven with just a bit more explanation.  I wasn't totally sold on the actor playing Oskar, but the young actress who played Eli couldn't have been more perfect.  Innocent yet evil.  Haunting.  Not an easy combination and yet she pulled it off with grace.

3.5 stars.

Movie Details:

Rated: R
Runtime: 114 minutes
Based on the Novel by:  John Ajvide Lindqvist
Screenplay Written by: John Ajvide Lindqvist
Directed by: Tomas Alfredson
Language: Swedish
DVD language options: English dubbing or subtitles (please don't do the dubbing though)
Starring: Oskar ~ Kåre Hedebrant
Eli ~ Lina Leandersson

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age