Scream Bloody Entertainment

Innocence dies. Abby doesn't.

Bullied at school and neglected by his parents, a lonely boy forms a strong relationship with a young girl who just moved in the next-door apartment, but he has yet to learn that his new friend is in fact a vampire.

- solid acting from the entire cast
- gorgeous cinematography
- powerful score
- darker in tone than the original
- improves on some of the first film's weaker points
- focuses more on the relationship between the two children
- blends horror, drama and romance perfectly

- feels a little rushed during certain points
- Chloe Moretz's performance pales in comparison to Lina Leandersson's
- the relationship between the main characters feels less convincing this time around
- unncessary remake

- pools of blood
- fatal jump from the tenth floor
- strangled to death
- blood harvesting
- violent neck biting
- death by neck breaking
- bloodstained vampire face
- car crash
- self-induced acid burns
- disfigured face
- frozen dead body
- bloody neck wound
- death by bursting into flames
- heavy bleeding
- feeding on blood
- severed head
- several dead bodies
- bloody feet

- blood harvesting immediately equals satanic rituals
- avoid little girls calling out for help
- hiding in the back seat of a car doesn't always work
- vampires like puzzles

Let Me In may be the most unnecessary American remake in recent years, with the Swedish original Let the Right One In having been released merely two years ago, but it is also one of the most well-done. While it plays out much like its predecessor, director Matt Reeves manages to make some significant tweaks to the story, summoning a darker tone and providing more focus on the relationship between the main characters. The acting is also solid, and even though Chloe Moretz delivers a very decent performance, it holds no water to that of Lina Leandersson in the origina. Ultimately, Let Me In remains an unnecessary remake, but the beautiful cinematography, haunting score and well-constructed storyline make it a fine alternative to one of the greatest horror films of the last ten years in cinema.

horror meter: 4 vampiric stars (out of 5)