Let Me In has no right to be as good as it is. The original Swedish film was a masterpiece, creating a heart warming story centred on the friendship of two kids that just so happens to feature vampires. It is both deadly and beautiful, with a deliberate pacing that wrings every emotion from it's audience.
The remake, being a Hammer Horror production, ups the shocks and grue factor but, in a stunning move, never sacrifices the integrity of the original or the book it's based on whilst being its own film with its own merits. Tone, style and pacing remain intact whilst the conviction of it's young cast is almost heartbreaking. It also somehow manages to make the bullying scenes and the violence that much more horrific, with the climax garnering distressing chills as the antagonists are brutally butchered largely off screen.
Matt Reeves is a man that knows how to direct the material. Both this and his previous movie, Cloverfield, use totally different styles yet benefit as such. He allows the film room to breathe and never takes the typical Hollywood "bigger is better" approach to remakes. There's no quick cuts or needless action beats and he has created a work that is just as intelligent as its predecessor.
Remakes of great films are ultimately pointless. Let Me In is the exception that proves the rule.
4.5/5
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