10. Let the Right One In
The Swedish coming-of-age chiller that cast a much-needed new light on Vampire mythology post-Twilight and boldly transported us to world quite alien to us and yet hauntingly beautiful. Of course like all good European gems Let the Right One In has suffered an American remake- which is by all accounts, not half bad, but I would urge any serious horror fans to seek out the original. Set amongst the desolate snow scapes of Sweden this genre defying tale follows Oskar a kind natured boy bullied at school and lonely at home who is visited by new neighbour Eli, a pretty, smart and quaint girl- who just happens to be a 200 year old vampire. Eli shares the flat next door to Oskar with Hakan, an almost incompetent killer that drains and collects blood for his precious Eli's survival. Set in a bleak town recovering from the Cold War the whole locale echoes desperation and the plight of these two disparate vampires for survival and acceptance is no less severe than that of the ostracized Oskar. The two develop a kind of pre-teen romance, Oskar eventually being encouraged by his Vampiress to face his fears and overcome the school bullies. Though there is nothing truly 'scary' about this film it is freakishly bizarre in places and beautifully shot throughout. A welcome return to the captivating mythology of vampiric lore.