Film Excess - Free Ukraine - Stop Putin - End the war NOW!!: Let the Right One In/Låt den Rätte Komma In (2008) - Chilling atmosphere and originality at play in Alfredson's child-centered horror

10/10/2018

Let the Right One In/Låt den Rätte Komma In (2008) - Chilling atmosphere and originality at play in Alfredson's child-centered horror

♥♥♥

+ Best Swedish Movie of the Year + Best Vampire Movie of the Year

A cry for help seems to be trapped in the ice on this chillingly created poster for Tomas Alfredson's Let the Right One In

A prepubescent boy is bullied consistently and is submitted to a life of fear in feminism-dominated Sweden. But then he discovers a friend in the girl Eli, who, however, has an unfortunate habit: She drains people of their blood.

Let the Right One In is written by John Ajvide Lindqvist (Border/Gräns (2018)), based on his same-titled 2004 novel, and directed by Tomas Alfredson (Bert: The Last Virgin/Bert - Den Siste Oskulden (1995)).
This rare Swedish vampire romance horror drama has a handsome, coolly observant photographic concept (cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema (Call Girl (2012))) and an original premise in its focus on the bullied boy. It is a good-looking and entertaining film, although I find it overrated.
The vampire element remains a gimmick that seems placed in this story without any real cause, furthermore, the film upon scrutiny really doesn't say anything. In periods it feels like a children's movie that's simply inappropriate for children to watch.
There is a cool public swimming pool scene at the end, and the mostly practical effects are very good. I don't buy into the slighting of male sexuality in Eli's first relationship, and I wonder if the 1970s setting is another gimmick in an already (to me) somewhat gimmicky film.
Let the Right One In is a damned cold but admirable piece of work.

Related post:

Tomas Alfredson: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) - Alfredson's heavily plotted, dreary spy hunt

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2008 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 29 mil. SKK, approximately 4.5 mil. $
Box office: 11.2 mil. $
= Minor flop (returned 2.48 times the cost)
[Let the Right One In premiered 26 January (Göteborg International Film Festival, Sweden) and runs 114 minutes. Casting of the leads reportedly took a year. Shooting took place near Stockholm in Sweden. The film opened #47 to a 49k $ first weekend in 4 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #28 and in 53 theaters (different weeks), grossing 2.1 mil. $ (18.8 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 1.8 mil. $ (16.1 %) and Sweden with 1.6 mil. $ (14.3 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, translating to two notches better than this review. The film was nominated for a BAFTA, 3 European Film awards, won 5/7 Guldbagge awards (Sweden's Oscar), a National Board of Review award and many other honors. Alfredson returned by shooting standup-show Sissela Kyle - Dina Dagar Är Räknade (2011, video) and theatrically with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011). Kåre Hedebrant (Real Humans/Äkta Människor (2012-14)) returned in Cubid's Balls/Amors Baller (2011); Lina Leandersson (Broken Hill Blues/Ömheten (2013)) in The Arbiter (2013). Let the Right One In is certified fresh at 98 % with an 8.3/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

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Donald Sutherland has passed away

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Film Excess - Free Ukraine - Stop Putin - End the war NOW!!

Eagerly anticipating this week ... (14-24)

10/10/2018

Let the Right One In/Låt den Rätte Komma In (2008) - Chilling atmosphere and originality at play in Alfredson's child-centered horror

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Eagerly anticipating this week ... (13-24)

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