For Reeves at all to suggest such a thing was flat-out dishonest on his part. There are so many cases where the book differs from the film and each time he ends up using the film's version of events. People try to point to the inclusion of the cop as being an example of him using Stephan from the book but all they have in common is that they're cops; the cop in the film is just a plot device to fill in Lacke's role and have someone for Abby to kill at the end of the film. I still wish someone would have either called him out or pressed him on this but everyone was just playing softball with him.BurgerPrince wrote:The reviewers from the beginning of and throughout the video call Let Me In a shot-for-shot knock-off of Let the Right One In. The producers of the American film did work with the Swedish film’s production company, EFTI. They even straight up called it a remake before it was even being made – before they even found Matt Reeves, and he initially refused to do it before reading the book. Reeves said in the making of the film that it was to be based solely off book, only to admit in the credits that it was based off the “screenplay” of Let the Right One In. I’ll admit that this was slightly disappointing – some of the scenes could have fulfilled their potential by being more original. Some of the scenes borrowed from the Alfredson’s film did their job, while others were lazily, even sloppily, done. However, the film is only based in part on the Swedish version and has more than enough original content to let it stand on its own credit.
To me the pool scene in the American version is a prime example of why the film is such a mess. The original Swedish ending is perfect whereas the remake is in your face with body parts flying straight at the camera. It's embarrassing.BurgerPrince wrote:The critics dismiss the American rendition of the climactic pool scene as well. Hilariously, it was actually the best example of the American film outperforming the original one.
Another case is the fire scene -- it's actually hilarious how over the top the remake's version is with the entire room and even the nurse catching on fire. And Virginia chewing on her arm like a zombie made no sense (Reeves threw it in there because JAL asked him to include Virginia drinking her blood, but because Reeves neglected to actually give the character any weight in the plot he just did it there).