This is the remake of the 2008 Swedish film Let the Right One In. Nearly every scene is reshot, with only a few exceptions. Owen's dad is shown in the original, while here he is only a voice on the telephone. All of the killings remain, while the odd nude scene does not. If you have seen one version, you have seen the other.
Like the original, this one takes place in winter, only it is set in New Mexico. Owen is a lonely boy going through the divorce of his parents. He is picked on at school by bullies. One night in the apartment court yard he meets a 12 year old looking vampire girl, Abby. His neighbors start getting killed off while he and the vampire seem to develop a friendship.
This version copies the style of the original, with a few changes. It takes place in 1983. One scene features not one, but two Culture Club songs. Nothing screams Mid 80's like Boy George. The biggest difference visually, is how the killings were filmed. Every time Abby attacks someone, it is done with CGI. Was this actually done with the decision to make the film better, or were the film makers being sensitive to the 13 year old actress?
The one aspect that really bugged me, is that it is all too clear when they used fake snow. As a vampire, Abby is not affected by the cold or snow so she walks around barefoot. All of the courtyard scenes seemed to be filmed on a set. Another flaw is when Abby kills in the tunnel outside. A jogger stops to see her and his heavy breathing is clear in the cold air. When Abby talks it is faint but her breath can be seen as well? I thought she did not have a body temperature as established by her bare feet in the snow?
I know, it is a vampire movie, and you may think I am nitpicking, but when a movie does something to remind me that I am watching a movie, the fantasy is ruined. The biggest improvement this film made, for me, was that it was made in English. Do not get me wrong, I love foreign films, and have reviewed many on this site. I just really hate subtitles. I always think that I am missing something on the screen by having to read the dialogue, instead of watching the actors as closely as I usually would.
Let Me In, like the original, is old fashioned when it comes to vampire lore. They can be killed in daylight, and are only allowed in your house if you let them in, hence the title. Her relationship with Owen is not at all like the ones found in Twilight, True Blood or Vampire Diaries. She seduces Owen on a whole other level, making her twice as smart as those vampires and in my opinion, twice as evil.
