Let the Right One In (2008)

Oskar, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl.

Director:

Tomas Alfredson

Writers:

John Ajvide Lindqvist (screenplay), John Ajvide Lindqvist (novel)

Stars:

Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 74 wins & 56 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kåre Hedebrant	...	Oskar
Lina Leandersson	...	Eli
Per Ragnar	...	Håkan
Henrik Dahl	...	Erik
Karin Bergquist	...	Yvonne
Peter Carlberg	...	Lacke
Ika Nord	...	Virginia
Mikael Rahm	...	Jocke
Karl-Robert Lindgren	...	Gösta
Anders T. Peedu	...	Morgan
Pale Olofsson	...	Larry
Cayetano Ruiz	...	Magister Avila
Patrik Rydmark	...	Conny
Johan Sömnes	...	Andreas
Mikael Erhardsson	...	Martin

Storyline

Oskar, a bullied 12-year old, dreams of revenge. He falls in love with Eli, a peculiar girl. She can't stand the sun or food and to come into a room she needs to be invited. Eli gives Oskar the strength to hit back but when he realizes that Eli needs to drink other people's blood to live he's faced with a choice. How much can love forgive? Set in the Stockholm suburb of Blackeberg in 1982.

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Plot Keywords:

vampire | boyfriend girlfriend relationship | solitude | bullying | girl | 

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Taglines:

Eli is 12 years old. She's been 12 for over 200 years and, she just moved in next door.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some bloody violence including disturbing images, brief nudity and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Several tricks were used to create the right sound effects for some of the gorier scenes. Biting into sausages was used to replicate biting into skin and flesh, and drinking yogurt was used to sound like drinking blood. The sound of the children blinking was made by the skin of grapes rubbing together in an almost "blinking" motion.

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Goofs

(at around 42 mins) When Oskar goes to visit his father, his cheek appears untainted, despite the scar and bandage from before. Later, the bandage is back on and even later, the scar appears.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Oskar: Squeal like a pig. So, squeal.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Horror Movies: 2000s (2015)

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Soundtracks

Längtans Blomma är Storst På Håll
Music by Franz Schubert, arranged by Lars Bagge
Lyrics by Hans Alfredson and Tage Danielsson

User Reviews

The most fantastic and original dark fantasy starring a child since "Pan's Labyrinth"

Tomas Alfredson's "Let The Right One In" is an original, dark, twisted and gory horror fantasy, one of those special films that are hard to classify. Not merely an exercise in style, his film is a brilliant piece of amoral storytelling, and even if some characters' actions defy any logic or common sense (I don't wanna spoil any moment here, but you'll know what I mean when the first revenge moment of the story happens), they seem to be there just to remind you that this is just a fantasy tale (but not for the little ones!). Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) is a 12 year-old bullied boy that befriends and develops an innocent crush on his new neighbor, Eli (Lina Leandersson), who happens to be a vampire. What comes next is a twisted tale of revenge and pubescent love, made with visual flair (the swimming pool scene is already classic), creative directing and impressive performances by the young pair of protagonists.

Hollywood, of course, didn't waste time and already announced an upcoming remake for those who are too lazy to read subtitles. Most likely, the remake will turn out to be PG-13 in order to make more money, and be filled with moral values so the prudish parents will let their kids watch the movie (don't they know "The Little Vampire" was made years ago?). Ignore the future bomb and enjoy the original - you're in for a treat! 10/10.

Details

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish Spanish

Release Date:

12 December 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Let the Right One In

Filming Locations:

Blackeberg, Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$49,295, 26 October 2008

Gross USA:

$2,122,065

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$11,227,336

Company Credits

Production Co:

EFTI, Sandrew Metronome Distribution Sverige AB, Filmpool Nord

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1