Let Me In - trailer

Let the Right One In 2008 is one of the best films of (UK) 2009. It is adapted from the Swedish novel Let Me In pub. 2004 by John Ajvide Lindqvist.

Films adapted from novels have a book of story to cherry pick from with no plot holes to fill. Let the Right One In is a Swedish production and foreign films do not didactically adhere to the Hollywood 3-act structure. Furthermore this film is horror-drama as opposed to the ubiquitous horror-thriller. Ie the story is told (albeit visually) more than it is shown. To see it is to love it. It’s a critical masterpiece and a future classic.

Ignore The Magnificent Seven 1960 and keep the parameters to the last 20 years then American remakes of foreign films flail: The Vanishing 1993, Point of no Return 1993, J-Horror to A-Ho(rror). One film stands out – Insomnia 2002 directed by Christopher Nolan. So it is possible to transfer a story from Scandinavia to America using similar terrain as backdrop. The narrative challenge is to appropriate one culture for another.

Matt Reeves is a writer turned director. His career highlight to date is Cloverfield 2008 – a one-trick-pony of a gimmick. The man is yet to prove he understands and can draw character and human motivation the way this story – even in American – deserves. However Let Me In 2010 could be his proof.

The trailer highlights sudden action but this may not be the tone of the film. It is after all, above all, a love story. There are also snippets of scenes identical to the first film. This is to be expected; they’re both sourced from the same book. Overall the trailer shows but tells nothing new – except for one thing.

The child actors in Let the Right One In behaved like children and spoke like children. Hollywood child actors are grating, cloying and self aware. They are shot in the same manner. American film portrays children as fantasy and not their childish reality. Witness Juno 2007 for your sins. This is a failing point of American cinema and could be for this film in particular: the two leads are kids.

Let Me In is to be released on 1^st October. I reserve judgement.

For your consideration: I’m writing a spec script: A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Return. Click the sidebar poll to declare your interest. I thank you.

Read more Thrill Fiction: The Best Horror Films Ever #1

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