Vampire re-vamp

Let Me In is an honourable, if pointless, remake of Let the Right One In

Swedish director Tomas Alfredson’s 2008 horror film Let the Right One In came out of nowhere to become one of the most universally loved films of the last few years; I don’t think I’ve met anyone who wasn’t captivated by its story of a bullied little boy who befriends the little-girl vampire who moves in next door. (If you haven’t seen it, trust me, it’s not nearly as family-friendly as that description makes it sound.)

The announcement of an American remake was greeted, unsurprisingly, by a collective groan from the horror movie crowd: why Hollywood-ize something so perfectly made, and more impor­tantly, so already accessible? And yet, as things shaped up, it looked like they were making the right choices—Matt Reeves (who directed the largely underrated Cloverfield) for director, Chloe Moretz of Kick-Ass as Abby, the equivalent of the Lina Leandersson vampire role in the original, plus Richard Jenkins and Elias Koteas in supporting roles.

And you know what? They actually did a pretty good job of it. This is a remake that honours the vibe, and the intentions of the original, without giving it a less ambiguous ending or doing any­thing else too stupid (though the hints of a backstory are a little more blatant). Let Me In is set, as the original, in the early ’80s, but this time in snowy (who knew?) New Mexico. Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road) plays Owen, a tortured and tormented adolescent who lives with his largely absent mother in a bleak apartment complex and who falls for Moretz, an ancient, mysterious blood-suck­er in the form of a young girl, who moves in next door with her aging caretaker (Jenkins)—and who helps him stand up for himself, in some pretty extreme ways.

The dark, wintry mood of Alfredson’s original is largely left intact, and Reeves gives Let Me In some nice touches of his own. Both of the kids—especially Moretz, who I guess is the vio­lent tween girl of her generation—are great. But really, I’m not sure what the point of Let Me In is. It’s good, but in the same ways as the original. I guess it’s for people who don’t like subtitles? ■

LET ME IN OPENS THIS FRIDAY, OCT. 1

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