let the right one in

• Childhood's end: Let the Right One In and other deaths of innocence.

Small, apparently innocent creatures who are in fact not at all what they seem: such is the substance of a fitfully vital subset of the horror genre. ...

• Cineaste
• Vol. 35 Nbr. 1, December 2009

• Let the Right One In

They are, after all, more than friends - but at the same time too young to fall in love. At least, [Oskar] is. "Are you 12, too?" he asks Eli. "More or less," she answers. "But I've been 12 for a very long time." Director Tomas Alfredson juxtaposes the tenderness of their deepening relationship with the violent, ghoulish reality of the enigmatic girl's private life. When [Hakan] fails her, Eli is forced to fend for herself, and here too Alfredson goes for rhe briefly glimpsed detail over the sort of elaborate F/X set piece that characterizes Hollywood pictures in this genre. Eli means harm to no one, but she is what she is and needs what she needs. Oskar doesn't question her motives or behavior. He seems to understand instinctively that she's as much a victim as any of his neighbors - w...

• Seven Days
• September 01, 2009

• Let the Right One In

Tracking Shots Directed by Tomas Alfredson Magnet Releasing Opens October 24, Angelika This lucid Swedish indie gem, adapted for the screen by John Ajvide Undqvist from his novel and directed with imagination and restraint by Tomas Alfredson, releases the vampire movie from overwrought conventions like close-ups on trembling bosoms and bloody fangs, offering instead a coolly balanced and utterly compelling examination of alienation and love.

• Village Voice, The
• August 28, 2009

• 'Let the Right One In' Is Creepy Examination of Vampire and Human Relationship

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN -- *** 1/2 -- Kare Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar; in Swedish, with English subtitles; rated R (violence, gore, profanity, slurs, drugs, brief partial nudity, vulgarity); Broadway Centre Like the recent movie version of the best-selling novel "Twilight," "Let the Right One In" examines the relationship between a human youngster and an eternally youthful vampire. But the similarities between the two end there.

• Deseret News (Salt Lake City)
• November 27, 2008

• Let the Right One In

-, a precious Swedish vampire movie directed by Tomas Alfredson, is a critical success and an art house hit, being met with the kind of hushed awe with which the movie regards itself.

• Independent Weekly, The; Durham, N.C.
• September 02, 2009

• Dvd Reviews: 'Let Me In' Rivals Swedish Original

'Let Me In' (Overture Films) In 2008, Swedish filmmaker Tomas Alfredson delivered the pitch- perfect vampire film with "Let the Right One In." Two years later "Cloverfield" director Matt Reeves took his shot at the story, making "Let Me In," an American version of the same story adapted from the 2004 novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist. It's almost impossible not to compare these two adaptations. The pics are similar, save for the setting, performers and a few story twists. Alfredson's cut gets the edge, but Reeves' version is no slouch. With the slight exception of some poor special effects, Reeves does a solid job of capturing the dark vision of Lindqvist's tale. He also gets a boost from the performances of young up-and-comers Chloe Grace Moretz and Kodi Smit-McPhee. The story...

• Tribune - Review / Pittsburgh Tribune - Review
• February 01, 2011

• Let the Right One In

- , a precious Swedish vampire movie directed by Tomas Alfredson, is a critical success and an art house hit, being met with the kind of hushed awe with which the movie regards itself.

• Independent Weekly, The; Durham, N.C.
• September 02, 2009

• New On Dvd This Week

LET ME IN (2010, Anchor Bay, R, $30) -- Matt Reeves' remake of the Swedish hit "Let the Right One In" is a vampire thriller unlike any other. With a tone that's contemplative and observational, the movie studies the unique friendship that develops between a weary bloodsucker named Abby (Chloe Grace Moretz) and Owen (Kodi Smit- McPhee), a lonely, bullied 12-year-old. There are some shocking scenes of brutality -- Abby is a neck-biter, after all -- but the whole thing drifts by like a dream. Reeves knows that an atmosphere of wintry dread is more scary than an arsenal of showy special effects. Extras: Reeves' audio commentary, deleted scenes and two featurettes. CONVICTION (2010, Fox, R, $30) -- The latest blue-collar heroine to be portrayed by Hilary Swank is Betty Anne Waters, a waitres...

• The Record, Bergen County, NJ
• February 04, 2011

• Let the Right One In

. Tomas Alfredson's drama is an intriguing hybrid of coming-of-age story and horror.

• Pittsburgh City Paper
• September 02, 2009

• Thirsty for More ; Love Story Mixed with Vampire Horror Is Worth Sinking Into

The unique and haunting 2008 Swedish film, "Let the Right One In," provided the vampire genre with a needed blood transfusion. The only trouble was, critics who loved the poorly distributed, artfully rendered film -- it never made it to Buffalo -- were about the only ones to see it. Let Me In," the faithfully executed remake by skilled filmmaker Matt Reeves ("Cloverfield") that arrives in theaters today, should change that.

• Buffalo News
• October 01, 2010