Few fans of the Swedish modern vampire classic Let the Right One In ever yearned for a remake, and most of us probably expected it to be a train wreck. However, with the enormous level of talent on hand Cloverfield director Matt Reeves, principal actors Chloë Moretz and Kodi Smit-McPhee, supporting players Elias Koteas and Richard Jenkins, and Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino this is the rare horror remake that works. For anyone who can be bothered to read subtitles, it is essentially a pointless endeavour, but Let Me In has a strident regard for what made the original so enthralling, and though the overall product isnt any better than Let the Right One In, it throws the gauntlet down in the areas of scoring, acting and direction. The film is released on Blu-ray today and here is our review... The plot is exactly the same as the original; Owen (Smit-McPhee) is a 12-year-old boy living in New Mexico, having seemingly no friends at school and being forced to suffer the wrath of a rowdy group of bullies, while neither his parents nor the school offer up much in terms of care or help. However, his life changes forever when 12-year-old girl Abby (Moretz) moves onto his apartment block with her guardian (Jenkins), and teaches him to stand up for himself. However, all is not as it seems; Abby is in fact a vampire, and with her companionship comes a fierce blood-lust which her guardian goes to great pains to sate, even killing innocent people. However, with a botched killing comes the attention of the local authorities, headed up by a driven Detective (Koteas). Though Reeves rather pointlessly opens his film with a scene from the middle of the story (for it adds little extra context and is pure gimmickry), this is a shockingly efficient retelling of the Swedish film, regurgitating the atmospheric minimalism of the original, while also offering a few story variations that slot snugly into the original mythos. Just like the original, the dialogue is economically sparse, choosing instead to build suspense through subtlety, while the nuanced performances do most of the work, through Smit-McPhees awkward body motions and Moretzs tragically piercing eyes. Given that Reeves is a director damned if he does and doesnt change things, he does a remarkable job here in pleasing both camps. For better or for worse I say neither it is a touch less retrained in the gore department, for while the original films throat-slit scene displayed a small trickle of crimson, here Reeves opts for a voluminous gloop of Kool Aid-like viscera. More agreeable are Reeves small but significant changes to character and circumstance; Jenkins caretaker character is altogether sadder and more sympathetic, with the more subversive glimpses gone, and an interesting hint of how he met Abby offered through a dusty set of photo booth pictures. Abby, meanwhile, is more predatory this time, more keen to go it alone and exploit her cute features to trick well-to-do passers-by who wish to help her. Again, the changes are negligible in terms of bettering or worsening the original story, but Reeves literary engagement with the material, keen not to travel the well-trodden path, is nothing if not admirable. Reeves with huge help from Michael Giacchinos terrifying score proves himself apt at crafting suspenseful scene after suspenseful scene. A sequence in which Abbys caretaker waits in the car back-seat of one of Abbys potential meals, ready to pounce, is nerve-wrackingly tense and in turn darkly comic. The scenes end sees the films most exhilarating moment and Reeves best directorial flourish; a violent car crash captured from the perspective of the back-seat. Reeves clever direction blocking out Owens parents faces at each turn to accentuate his isolation, and a darkly comic match-cut from a burning woman to an overcookied pie cements him as no slouch. Also rather admirably, he roots the film within a greater culturally relatable framework for English-speaking audiences, splicing in (rather comically) the Blue Oyster Cults seminal 80s tune Burnin for You. For the open-minded viewer, there is little to have against this remake (other than that it need not exist at all), though one wonders why Reeves bothered to use CGI during Abbys attack scenes. Visual effects are typically used sparingly throughout, though they feel excessive during these moments, giving Abby an uncanny, jerky look which, even if intentional, gives the impression of ropey effects work. Also disappointing though not unexpected is the removal of the original films most daringly subversive moment (those who have seen it will know exactly what it is), yet it was a fleeting, blink-and-youll-miss-it moment, and it is unlikely that a studio would have even hired Reeves had he insisted upon keeping it. That graphic final attack scene is also not quite as well done as in the original (there is more cutting away when the camera should linger), but Reeves still packs a powerful visceral impact, and it should be a pleasant shock to the system for those who have yet to be blessed with the original. For one measure, it is not as forgiving as the Swedish film; unlike Eli, Abby leaves no survivors. In short, hang up your prejudices and preconceptions and this is a strikingly good looking, incredibly effective reworking that has a few additions of its own while sticking to what made the original so great; it is neither pointlessly true like Gus Van Sants remake of Psycho, nor is it an alienating deviation from what we know. In a perfect world, audiences wouldnt be so lazy and just read subtitles, but if youre going to remake a film horror or otherwise this is how you do it, for it stands tall with Zack Snyders Dawn of the Dead as one of the few good ones in recent memory.
Extras:
Commentary with director Matt Reeves - Reeves tackles the remake controversy head-on, referring more to Lindqvist's original novel than the Swedish film. He does a good job of bigging up the cast and crew, and provides plenty of interesting tidbits; the face mask Owen wears was a mould made of Richard Jenkins' face, Smit-McPhee and the bully actors got along really well, and some of the trains featured are sly CGI additions. Certainly informative, especially considering it is a one-man show. From the Inside - The Making of Let Me In (17 minutes) - Pores over a lot of the same soundbytes we heard from Reeves in the commentary, but seeing how they pulled off the swimming pool and car crash sequences is hugely impressive. VFX Breakdown (6 minutes) - Startling comparison of raw dailies, CGI plates and final composites, this demonstrates how visual effects were used for both the complex attack sequences and more subtle work, such as adding a few levels to the hospital. Car Crash - Step-by-Step (6 minutes) - Comprehensively breaking down the superb car crash scene from pre-vis conception to the final shot, while commentated by a visual effects supervisor who appears to be speaking over the phone... Blu-Ray Exclusive Picture-in-Picture - Directing Let Me In - Though Reeves popping up every so often to offer insight adds diversity to the usual commentary format, he mostly rakes over everything he already said in the audio commentary. TV Special (22 minutes) - Strictly soft-edged ITV tosh, and curiously only filling 1/4 of the screen at native resolution, it again has Reeves milking the same facts. 3 Deleted Scenes (5 minutes) - Reeves provides insightful optional commentary, and these mostly low-res, washed-out clips are interesting for fans - especially a flashback scene depicting the attack which turned Abby into a vampire - though most all are understandable omissions. Also includes a breezy gallery of posters and stills. Let Me In is released on Blu-ray from today.