Let Me in (2010)

*spoilers*

OK It’s been so so so long time ago the last time I’ve been going to the cinemas. This is much long awaited after my exams finished on Wednesday. I heard about this movie in Rotten Tomatoes, in which they gave a 89% rating. A good one as the critics say. I don’t rely fully on RT to make choices which movie to watch but I do consider it.

The movie is centralized heavily on the two characters, Chloe Grace Moretz and Kodi Smit-McPhee (I don’t know if it;s just coincidence that both their names were so long! =D). Some would say it is a vampire movie. I would say it is a love story. Young love story, the type that you will marvel at their innocence, backed with a vampire storyline. But it’s also a VERY depressing and gloomy movie. The setting is revolves around small flats and their school, that’s alive when the scene are not involving Owen(Kodi McPhee) and the bullies. It’s snowing throughout the movie. The background songs are slow and haunting, which makes the movie to be very slow moving and depresses me a lot.

What is more depressing is the helplessness of the situation. Owen’s parents are getting a divorce, and his mom didn’t care less about him than her own issues with her husband which is very annoying. All she does are crying, and drinking. How would she know that her only son is suffering from terrible bullies in school and that he has become violent inside? There is this one scene in which Owen tip toed out from his house while his mother dozes off on the couch, and the TV is showing ‘Its 10pm, do you know where your children are?’ That sent everyone in the cinema laughing! The movie depicts very well what are the changes that happens to a young prepubescent boy, such as how he likes to spy what his neighbours (a couple) are doing. He liked it but at the same time he didn’t understand it. It is through Abby that he knows his real self.

Then came Abby(Chloe Moretz), the lonely vampire girl. I love the scenes when they meet at the same place every time. I think the scene with the rubix cube is sweet. It just shows what are you feeling the first time you’ve ever had someone to talk to you, and gets you. In Owen’s world, there are no one, not even his mother. So when Abby came his life suddenly become interesting that he’s happy to be back home again. (I credit that to the large expressive eyes of Kodi Mcphee.) His expression is very absorbing and real. He’s very talented!! The movie centered on this two leads, and their relationship progressed to something strong (and creepy!). Abby is the one who’s making the move most of the time…considering that she’s a vampire and has lived for a long time. She’s not such a young girl. She’s not so innocent as she’s the one climbing on his bed not wearing anything! (it disturbs me because she’s only 13 to Owen!!!)

He knows her secret and frightened by it (by calling it ‘evil’). But the next time Abby came knocking on the door asking to let her in, he lets her although he’s still scared of her. It’s understandable how Owen can accept the fact that Abby is not a girl, not a human. Because how Owen’s life is depicted, he’s lonely and scarred from the people around him. Abby is a beautiful yet mysterious girl. And the only one that gets him. They would talk about beating the bullies and Morse code…they are in their own world. Abby seems to always get guys giving her undivided loyalty and love, proven by the scene when her ‘Father’ gave his blood from the hospital room, regardless of the fact how screwed up his life has been because of Abby.

I think the title of ‘Let Me In’ is explained when the scene of Abby wanted to come in his house, and insisted that Owen said the words of letting her in. When she does come in without those words, blood came out from her body. I think it’s because Owen’s mother is depicted as religious and this is against the fact that Abby is an evil entity. Actually his house is restricted from the likes of Abby.

The bathroom scene is the most frightening, as agreed between me and my friends! The next scene of Abby hugged Owen with her bloodied shirt…it’s disturbing because they were kids! It’s OK if they’re Edward and Bella of Twilight LOL. Owen has become an accomplice of Abby’s ruthless killings, because he truly loves her and their friendship. This is nearing to the end of the movie. Everyone still sat in our seats when the last scene appears. We didn’t expect it to end. I thought there are more, as to where they’re going. The movie left me making up my own ending.

My rating is 4 out of 5. It’s a heartfelt young forbidden love story. Sometimes I felt I was watching an absurd kid movie because of the disturbing scenes. I wouldn’t let my 12 year old brother watch this without adult supervision! People who looks for a scary horror flick with blood oozing around, they’ll be disappointed. The scary thing is their peculiar relationship.

It doesn’t try to be a movie of bloodbath and gore as the relationship between the two leads seems to be above the vampire storyline.

So when the movie ended, I understand that the point is, love is triumphant in all odds. I wonder if that’s healthy…but the movie makes me agree. Now I’m going to watch the original, Let The Right One In (2008) Låt den rätte komma in.