Låt den rätte komma in (2008)

Director:

Tomas Alfredson

Writers:

John Ajvide Lindqvist (novel)
John Ajvide Lindqvist (screenplay)

Release Date:

24 October 2008 (Norway)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Eli is 12 years old. She's been 12 for over 200 years and, she just moved in next door.

Plot:

Oscar, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl who turns out to be a vampire.

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | Suburb | Blood | Vampire | Disfigured Face

Awards:

56 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Kåre Hedebrant	...	Oskar
Lina Leandersson	...	Eli
Per Ragnar	...	Håkan
Henrik Dahl	...	Erik
Karin Bergquist	...	Yvonne
Peter Carlberg	...	Lacke
Ika Nord	...	Virginia
Mikael Rahm	...	Jocke
Karl-Robert Lindgren	...	Gösta (as Karl Robert Lindgren)
Anders T. Peedu	...	Morgan (as Anders Peedu)
Pale Olofsson	...	Larry (as Paul Olofsson)
Cayetano Ruiz	...	Magister Avila
Patrik Rydmark	...	Conny
Johan Sömnes	...	Andreas
Mikael Erhardsson	...	Martin

Also Known As:

Let the Right One In (International: English title) (UK) (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for some bloody violence including disturbing images, brief nudity and language.

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Sweden:15 | USA:R | Finland:K-15 | South Korea:15 | Canada:14A (British Columbia/Ontario) | Germany:16 | Denmark:15 | Norway:15 | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:MA | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:15 | Italy:VM14 | Ireland:16 | France:-12 | Mexico:B15 | Portugal:M/18 | Iceland:16 | Poland:15 | Spain:13 | Netherlands:16 | Ireland:18 (DVD rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Blackeberg, Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden

Company:

EFTI

Trivia:

Though the film takes place in Blackeberg, a suburb of Stockholm, the film principal photography was shot in Luleå in the north of Sweden, to ensure enough snow and cold weather.

Goofs:

Continuity: Throughout the movie there is snow everywhere, but it vanishes later in the movie to re-appear again. In the scene following Oskar and Eli in the basement, Eli runs across a bridge and eventually climbs up a tree. As she crosses the bridge, snow can be seen in the background, but as she climbs up in the tree there is no snow anywhere nor any traces of it. In the scene that takes place the next morning, the snow is back and heavily covering everything.

Quotes:

Oskar: How old are you?
Eli: Twelve... more or less.
Eli: What about you?
Oskar: Twelve years, eight months and nine days. What do you mean, "more or less"?
Oskar: When's your birthday?
Eli: I don't know.
Oskar: Don't you celebrate your birthday? Your parents... they've got to know.
Eli: [Eli looks down on the ground]
Oskar: Then you don't get any birthday presents, do you?
Eli: No.

Movie Connections:

References Innocent Blood (1992)

Soundtrack:

Flash in the Night

... in many parts a beautiful and original piece of cinema.

I read the book and loved it. Now, I had the chance to see the movie version at the Gothenburg International Filmfestival 2008, as the movie won the "Nordiska filmpriset". I saw it at a really big screen (700 seats), happy that it delivered fine acting and quality cinema.

Having said that, I'd also agree with what's been said (e.g. above) that the music is a bit over the top. The movie itself is a study in the small: tiny nuances in the classroom and schoolyard, the almost forgotten suburb, the hiding qualities of snow, ice and winter (not to mention the, at least partly, neglected kids). To score such small details with grand strings makes for a bit of a mismatch. Enough on that, some parts have only piano and those work perfectly.

Witout spoiling anything it's safe to say that this first and foremost is a story of friendship. Second, it's a story of revenge. Either way, this is a truly original tale and in many parts a beautiful piece of cinema. Original (and sometimes quite gory) still even the violence seems subdued (at least in comparison to the vampire genre as it has evolved from subtle romance flick to full blown war movie). This movie, however, is about loneliness, friendship and loyalty --- and it's really worth watching. Recommended.