(Major plot spoilers herein.) If you are familiar with this Swedish gem of a movie, and perhaps may even have read the book it's based on, you're probably also aware that an American "remake" (of nearly the same title) was made starring Chloe Moretz. She does turn in a good performance, but the US version is merely an almost scene for scene, word for word remake of the Swedish movie, purely to take financial advantage of the success of the Swedish version for American audiences, with all the Scandinavian angst and subtlety removed. We have to be given digestible bits of absolute good and absolute evil for a movie to make it in the states, and this remake is no exception. I saw the original Swedish version on Netflix 3 or 4 years ago, while searching for international horror. I believe I've watched it in its entirety perhaps 6 times since then, and re- watched certain scenes more times than I care to admit to. One internet site claims that it is one of the top 20 horror films EVER. I may even place it in the top ten - that is, if I'm going to accept that it is even a horror movie, which I am reluctant to do. I admit that I missed major plot elements the first time through the movie. I had the sense that Eli was going to wind up being a vampire, but was well into the movie before I thought I saw evidence of this when, on re-watching, this is hinted at in her first scene. She is talking to Oscar from the top of a jungle gym and jumps down from a height of perhaps 9 feet to land softly and effortlessly on the ground in one of the most brilliantly understated scenes from any horror movie. I'll state this right now, rather than hint around about it. A major plot element is that Eli is short for Elias (this comes from the book.) Throughout the movie, she keeps telling Oscar that she is "not a girl" but he sloughs this off for various reasons from naivete to assuming she means she's a vampire, and not human at all. "She" is a boy. The book is quite clear on this, even taking us back through a hypnosis/dream sequence to her castration and conversion to vampire. The only other hint of this in the movie is a somewhat confusing scene where Eli's genitals look weird, which I originally put off to her just being pre-pubescent. After reading the book, this scene clearly was trying to tell us that "she" was a castrated boy. The book refers to her with female pronouns all the way to the point where she openly reveals herself to be a boy, then switches to male pronouns. In fact, the book has a creepy pedophilic/homosexual sub-element to it that is completely missing from the movie, and probably for good reasons. Even the Swedish know when not to make a movie too cerebral. The actress Lina Leandersson was chosen for the role of Eli in the Swedish version. I can't imagine anyone else for this role. She totally owns the movie. Portraying a boy/girl who was "made" into a vampire at age 12, and therefore perennially juvenile, she is able to carry across a sort of ancient calm and wisdom that tells you that she has probably been 12 for a long time, something she admits to in the scene where Oscar finally asks her if she is a vampire, although you are left to speculate how long. (Trivia: His line "Are you a vampire?" is the only time the word is used in the movie. This goes a long way to understanding the subtlety of this film.) This is easily in my top 20 horror movies of all time. On a scale of 1 to 10 this is a 15.
Reviews
2 Reviews
Let Me In
(I) (2010)
Please watch the Swedish version
20 March 2016
(Contains plot spoiler.) Although not a bad movie as a stand-alone, this movie is lifted almost line from line from the classic 2008 Swedish thriller, "Let the Right One In" which is in turn based on a great novel by the same name, in what is a clearly money grubbing attempt to capitalize on its success in a US market. This is the Swedish movie with all the subtlety and nuance removed, all the grey areas made black and white, and all the plot elements spoon fed to an American viewing audience in what comes off like a cross between a CSI TV show and an episode of Goosebumps. But, in a nation that is about to elect Donald Trump President, it's not surprising that we need a movie dumbed down for us. The only specific criticism I'll make: Did anyone really buy Chloe Moretz as a castrated boy? Do yourself a favor. Read Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist, then see the Swedish movie by the same name.
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