Vampires Still Need Permission

Baffling Remake Stays Reverent to the Original

 By Morgan P Salvo

What The Fuck!!? Let Me In is a remake of Let the Right One In, a movie barely two years old. This new version is scripted and helmed by Matt Reeves who was responsible for shakiest camera award with the unforgettable Cloverfield.
In Let Me In we have a barely re-written version with a lot of the same scenes and the dialogue. Swapping Sweden to a snowy New Mexico is a stretch. Having it take place in 1983 is semi-genius because we get to listen to a bunch of 1983 classic rock songs by David Bowie, Blue Oyster Cult, Greg Khin, etc. The story remains the same as a pre-pubescent blood sucker girl befriends geeky lonely boy picked on by bullies, and throughout some gruesome murders a love story blossoms. Once again the title refers to letting the right one in through the door— but also into the heart, as deadly as that may be.
Kudos must go to casting. Richard Jenkins plays the creepy “Dad”, Elias Koteas as the detective, Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road) as the boy Owen and Chloe Moretz (Kick-ass) as the girl vampire Abby.
Saving what was cool about the original is its cold and detached look at adolescent loneliness and pain, making it the polar opposite to Twilight’s jean-busting, teen-throb, male-model blood suckers.

Missing from the original (in addition to the cool original cool 80’s euro-rock) was the alienation and isolation the entire town felt. Director Tomas Alfredson achieved this brilliantly by drawing out more characters, especially the seedy bar patrons/potential victims. Instead Reeves has Owen watching people/potential victims with a telescope giving it a Rear Window voyeuristic feel. A bad idea has Owen playing with his knife in the mirror, acting like a serial killer-rapist. The original had the character fantasizing about being able to intimidate and kill his bully attackers. Failing to astonish, the vampire attack scenes and climbing of trees or buildings look like King Kong type animation.
Watching this version messed with my head because I was so familiar with the original and its euro-creepiness. I couldn’t tell if this American version sucked or maybe it’s so rigorously reverential to its source material that it’s a highly accomplished work standing on its own. Still it baffles me why anyone would tamper with greatness. Sure the Swedish film, which ranks as one of the strangest horror entries of the last decade, deserves to find a wider base in the U.S., but why mess with solid originality? Let Me In’s only saving grace is if people see this movie first they might be intrigued to see the masterpiece.

Let Me In
Starring Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Moretz, Richard Jenkins, Elias Koteas
Written/ Directed by Matt Reeves
Rated R
2 ½ stars