Let Me In review (Torontoist)

[gymmy64]

By John Semley on September 8, 2010

Let Me In
Directed by Matt Reeves (United Kingdom/US, Special Presentations)

There seems to be some confusion amongst those behind-the-scenes with regard to what exactly Let Me In is. Director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) has claimed that it's another adaptation of Swedish novelist John Ajvide Lindqvist's novel Let the Right One In and not, strictly speaking, a remake of Tomas Alfredson's 2008 Swedish film of the same name. But producer Simon Oakes has insisted that Let Me In is precisely a remake of Alfredson's film. Anyone who treasures Alfredson's excellent adolescent romantic thriller is likely to side with Oakes, as watching Let Me In brings about that distinct feeling of déjà vu all over again.

For the uninitiated, Let Me In casts Kodi Smit-McPhee as Owen, a lonely twelve-year-old twerp living with his wine-slurping, Bible-thumping mother in smalltown New Mexico. A victim of frequent beat-downs inflicted upon him by a trio of one-dimensional bullies, and possessing no friends his own age, Owen spends his nights chewing on Now and Later taffies and enacting revenge fantasies in his apartment courtyard. That is until a young vampire named Abby (Chloë Moretz) moves in and the two become fast friends. But with Abby's arrival follows a series of ghastly murders, many involving blood-letting, leading to a pesky parka-clad detective (Elias Koteas) poking around for answers.

In adding the detective character, and developing the relationship between Abby and her browbeaten, blood-collecting steward (Richard Jenkins), Let Me In fleetingly differentiates itself from its Swedish antecedent. But the rest of film feels like Reeves tracing over the lines drawn by Alfredson. He offers us a few virtuoso compositions (though nothing compared to the gory subaquatic dénouement of Alfredson's film), but otherwise Reeves' movie is of interest to only that subset of movie-goers who want to see a horror movie about an juvenile predator, but can't be bothered with reading subtitles.

http://torontoist.com/2010/09/let_me_in.php

[Struan]

Ouch.

[abner_mohl]

Our worst fears confirmed, another mediocre remake.

[TΛPETRVE]

That's what you get for adding unnecessary plot - less time spent for the really essential elements of the story.

@Abner: Hey, great Jocke avatar, btw!

[DMt.]

Ouch.

I was going to say that...

[abner_mohl]

That's what you get for adding unnecessary plot - less time spent for the really essential elements of the story.

@Abner: Hey, great Jocke avatar, btw!

Thanks, and by the looks of if anyone watches LMI, we will be quoting Jocke: "Bloody !"

[TΛPETRVE]

Speaking of which, and looking at Jocke's expression, he must be watching LMI right now .

[gattoparde59]

In adding the detective character, and developing the relationship between Abby and her browbeaten, blood-collecting steward (Richard Jenkins), Let Me In fleetingly differentiates itself from its Swedish antecedent. But the rest of film feels like Reeves tracing over the lines drawn by Alfredson.

Very well put Mr. Semley.

Btw Let Me In is showing at the Toronto Film Festival on September 13 and 14th.

[thestich]

It sounds like my fear has come to fruition:

I hope LMI does not live down to my expectations.

[DMt.]

I'm going to watch it anyway. Seems to me that JAL/TA had all the subtlety bases so well covered with the original that Mr. Reeves' only option was to go for some sort of action thriller thingy. Of course it could still suck, but I have to see.