#tomasalfredson

In the canon of scary monsters, few have the established lore or vast range of stories comparable to that of the vampire.  There are literally scores of vampires movies out there to be discovered, but many of them tend to follow a familiar, similar formula.  To find a take on vampires that is new and unique is a refreshing experience.  Of recent memory, one of my favorite alternative takes on the vampire narrative (that still stays true to the established rules and legends) is Let the Right One In. 

Oskar (Kare Hedebrant) is a shy 12-year old living with his mother Yvonne (Karin Bergquist) in a small, tight knit Stockholm community around the early 1980s.  Oskar often finds himself the target of bullying by Conny (Patrik Rydmark) and his group of friends, and therefore spends most of his time alone in his room or in the courtyard of his apartment complex.  Meanwhile, a pair of mysterious neighbors move in next door to Oskar : Eli (Lina Leandersson), a young girl who seems reluctant to interact with anyone around her, and Hakan (Per Ragnar), her older and extremely protective caretaker.  Upon meeting Eli, Oskar is intrigued, but Eli warns him to keep his distance... despite the warning, the two develop a strong friendship bond.  Meanwhile, members of the community begin to notice an increase in missing people, discovered bodies and gruesome crimes, all due to Hakan and his quest for blood to provide to Eli in order to keep her alive.  During one of these expeditions, Hakan is discovered, and in an effort to protect Eli, disfigures himself.  Eli visits him in the hospital, feeds off of him, and assists him in committing suicide, meaning she is now forced to survive on her own.  Due to her bond with Oskar, which has helped him find a confidence he did not know he had, she turns to him for help, changing the course of both of their lives forever.

The way this film balances its narrative threads to tie together one overarching story is brilliantly executed.  Oskar alone has 3 strong storylines that could dominate films in their own right : his love story (and coming of age) with Eli, the mysterious new neighbor; his attempts at dealing with, and eventually overcoming, the torment of his bully Conny; and, his attempts at coming to understand his family dynamic, with a mother that loves him but hovers and will not allow him to grow, and a father that is equally loving but in a relationship that Oskar is not mature enough to understand.  The town is going through its own story, with a string of violent crimes suddenly occurring in an otherwise quiet location that rock the entire dynamic of the town and its inhabitants.  And, of course, we have the story of Eli and Hakan, a vampire and her caretaker, attempting to follow the rules it takes to keep Eli alive while going undetected.

Let the Right One In, in the regard, is an extremely unique take on the vampire narrative.  To my knowledge, it does a great job of perpetuating most of the vampire mythos established in history and pop culture, including needing to be invited in, deadly reactions to sunlight, sleeping in a coffin (even if it’s a makeshift one), feeding on blood, and a violent reaction from cats.  The way that these elements are integrated into the narrative, and the way it also helps establish that feeling of paranoia that prevailed in the 1970s and 1980s when it came to the nature of crime changing, helps make the story both easy to relate to and fluid in the way it carries itself forward.  There are no wasted moments in this film, as anything that does not serve to move the narrative forward either gives us emotional information or insight into one of our leads.

Despite the winter-heavy location, there is a sense of color to this film that gives it life and hope in what would otherwise be a bleak setting.  The way that the 1980s is mixed into the production design is subtle but highly effective, giving us the sense of it being a period piece without having to broadcast so.  The look is definitely there, but it’s the feel of the times that this film does a great job in portraying.  The horror elements are measured and used wisely, especially the ones concerning Virginia, which not only show you some of the more spectacular parts of the vampire narrative that many probably wanted to see, but it makes you think about all that Eli has done to survive by comparison, adding weight to an otherwise already heavily textured world.

Kare Hedebrant gives an incredibly compelling lead performance for a young actor, managing to show how an isolated young man keeps himself sane, allowing range for love and validation, and still being vulnerable enough to show fear.  In comparison, Lina Leandersson is equally compelling, allowing a wisdom and sense of presence that would emanate from a seasoned veteran actor flow through her, and completely selling the savage side.  Per Ragnar not only is a fearful presence in the film, but the shades of love he shows for Eli make us forgive his actions in his final moments.  Peter Carlberg transitions seamlessly from the life of the party to a broken man, especially paralleled with Ika Nord’s powerful performance in her final moments.  Patrik Rydmark is wonderfully persistent and offbeat in his role as Oskar’s tormentor.  Appearances from Henrik Dahl, Karin Bergquist, Karl Robert Lindgren and Pale Olofsson also stand out.