4 out of 5

Director: Matt Reeves

Im not quite sure what to say about this one. As with the original film (for the 5% unawares that this was a remake), as the end credits rolled I felt I had seen something of value, but I couldnt pinpoint exactly what that meant. Hm. Chloe Mertz plays a mysterious girl who moves into the same apartment complex as 12 yr-old Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Owen is generally picked on at school, acting out violent revenge fantasies in the courtyard of the apartment building. He soon makes friends with Abby (Mertz), discovering that her only coming out at night and living with an old man who is not her father are just hints of something more sinister… Let Me In is more directly a vampire film than the original (Let the Right One In), and this is definitely the most noticeable difference: tone. This American version is, perhaps, more American in that its more jumpy, and more horrific, and much, much darker (lighting-wise), but its also more artfully done: the camera is so focused that you are just with it, confined, in the scene, whereas movie 1 seemed a bit more open and dream-like. Its also, typically, more obvious with the plotting: the role of the father here is clear, and although Owens background is changed a bit, his development is more understandable as well. Overall: a very effective, tightly shot and acted movie thats surprisingly restrained for an American remake. While its overall emotional effect is questionable, it is, at least, a step toward introducing American audiences to a smarter type of horror that doesnt involve breasts or 3d traps.