Let the Right One In

A+

Directed by Thomas Alfredson

"Let the Right One In" is one of the films that came in with the most buzz at this year's festival and after having had the pleasure of watching it tonight, I can see why. Thomas Alfredson's reimagination of the vampire film is truly one of the most original and intelligent horror films I have ever seen and is also probably the best film I have seen all year.

The story revolves around the relationship between Oskar, a young introvert who is mercilessly bullied by a group of his classmates, and Eli, a mysterious 12 year old girl who moves in next door. Unbekownst to Oskar, Eli is a vampire who must feast on human blood every so often lest her skin begin to rot. Although the film is at its root a vampire movie and Alfredson takes pains to make sure that the action strictly abides by the rules of vampire mythology (i.e. Eli can only enter a home if she is invited into it) "Let the Right One In" is concerned primarily with exploring the growing relationship between Oskar and Eli, a relationship that, although punctuated by a fair deal of vampirish shenanigans by Eli, is not only sweet and tender but also quite believable, insofar as vampire/human romances can be. Alfredson truly spins a completely different yarn out of genre that has been forever associated with campy, B-Rate flicks or "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" proving that in the right hands an entire genre of film, in this case vampire horror, can be turned into something at the same time new, exciting, and exquisite.

The film is gorgeously shot, using the "so-bland-it's-exotic" backdrop of the snowy, bleak Swedish countryside as beautiful backdrop to an equally beautiful story, and the carefully crafted images of "Let the Right One In" only add to the atmospheric and moody feel of the film.

This is by far the best film I have seen at Fantasia this year and is one of the most exciting films I have seen in a long, long time.