LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (Sweden/Norway, 2008) (15)Wednesday, 14th April 2010Directed by Tomas Alfredson. Screenplay: John Ajvide Lindqvist from his novel.
Photography (Colour): Hoyte van Hoytema. Music: Johan Söderqvist. Length: 114 mins.
With: KÅRE HEDEBRANT ((Oskar), LINA LEANDERSSON (Eli), PER RAGNAR (Håkan), HENRIK DAHL (Erik), KARIN BERGQUIST(Yvonne), PETER CARLBERG (Lacke), MIKAEL RAHM ((Jocke), PATRIK RYDMARK (Conny).
The second film in the mini-season, Let The Right One In, finds Philip French no less enthusiastic for this too was on his list of the ten best movies of 2009. Unusually for the EFS this is a vampire tale and, as such, it belongs to the category of the horror film. As with Pan’s Labyrinth, which is arguably even more violent, we have chosen to present this film outside of our main season recognising that some members may dislike the genre. In the case of Pan’s Labyrinth, one had a film so imaginative that it transcended any genre label one tried to apply to it. In contrast to that Let The Right One In is no less and no more than a genre picture which is a brilliant example of its kind.
Based on a novel and set in Stockholm it tells a contemporary tale of a twelve year old boy who suffers from bullying and of the girl from a neighbouring flat who also seems to be twelve but speaks as though she has been that age for an eternity. Yes, she’s the vampire here, but beyond that I give away nothing of the plot save to say that the boy, Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) and the girl, Eli (Lina Leandersson), are drawn to one another. The young actors are superb – and for once this is a horror film in which the audience is made to care about the characters. It’s also a film that reveals its director Tomas Alfredson to be a very talented man whose use of sound, music included, is masterly and whose work sometimes brings Alfred Hitchcock to mind. Even with a “15” rather than an “18” certificate the film may prove more gory than those unused to modern horror films would expect, but there’s no doubt at all as to this being an outstanding example of the genre.
(Programme note by Mansel Stimpson)
