Directed by Matt Reeves. Starring Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Moretz, Richard Jenkins, Elias Koteas. Horror, US/UK, 111m, cert 15.

Released on UK DVD and Blu Ray by Icon Home Entertainment on 14th March 2011. £15.99

Let Me In is the American remake of Swedish vampire film, Let The Right One In. The opening scene is in a hospital, with a police officer questioning a disfigured man in a hospital bed. The film then flashes back to when we first see Abby (Chloe Moretz.) From this scene with Abby, it’s clear that she is not an ordinary twelve year old. Abby is a mysterious twelve year old who moves next door to Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee.) She originally tells Owen that they can’t be friends, however they soon form a bond. After learning that Owen is bullied at school, Abby convinces him to hit back and promises to protect him herself. Abby’s ‘father’ is forced to murder the locals in order to acquire blood for the young vampire. After a failed attempt at getting blood, the police begin to catch onto the two of them.

I thoroughly enjoyed the original to this film, and strangely enjoyed this remake even more. Whilst it may not seem necessary to remake a film only 2 years old, I’m glad Matt Reeves did. Films are usually only re made when there are faults. However this is not the case here, it’s simply due to being a foreign film. Let Me In is very similar to Let The Right One In, and appears to have used the exact same storyboard. It is a lot easier to connect to the characters than it is in the original, due to not having to read subtitles.

However the thing that stood out most to me was the lack of sexual feelings towards each other. In the original it is quite clear that the two characters have a sexual bond, despite the vampire saying she’s not a girl. In this remake, the closeness between the two seemed more like family. Abby appeared to protect Owen as a mother would do. The bed scene in the original film, Eli holds Oskar’s hand and strokes his arm, whereas in the remake they just talk.

Another thing that is clearly different from the original is the amount of gore. There is a lot more blood in the remake, and more of a focus on the killings. For example, in the scene with the first killing, you see his throat being slit, rather than the camera cutting away like it did in the original. The lighting is a lot darker in the remake, setting a better mood for a vampire film.

One of my favourite things in this film is Chloe Moretz. She’s one of my favourite actresses and I feel she always plays her characters well. Chloe plays the mysterious character of Abby, brilliantly. Kodi also plays Owen well, and the two connect as if they really were best friends. They portray the innocence between the two characters perfectly.

I’m probably not the first person to have told you that you need to see this film. Don’t let the word ‘remake’ put you off.

Megan Hunt.

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