Genius in the Shadow of Hollywood: Let The Right One In

“The more I watch Let the Right One In the more fascinated I become. The first time I had watched it was amongst friends.  It came highly recommended and at the time we were on a complete and total “Anti-Twilight” binge. There are rules in Vampyre mythology, almost to the point of being practically formulaic, and this is more for fan-service to the occult than anything else. However, as demonstrated by the large “Anti-Twilight” counterculture as rabid as those actually devoted to the Stephenie Meyer’s book (turned movie) series, an author does not simply disregard the most basic principles of vampire methodology, in lieu of Robert Pattinson’s sparkling, glittery abdominals. Exploding into what looks like confetti throw up, is not the same as spontaneously combusting in giant bursts of flames, while screaming in agony.

Favorite Line in the Film:
Oskar: How’d you solve it so fast?
Eli: I turned it.

In the book (to screenplay to movie) Let Right One In, at least the original author   John    Ajvide Lindqvist had the propensity to faithfully stick with motifs that are so deeply  embedded within occult horror film genre, while simultaneously “leaving room” —so to speak— to take creative liberties in order to revitalize the “tried and true” plot of a  coming of age story with romantic/ angst-ridded undertones (Wright 58).

….[he] quickly turned a precocious film about troubled youths and pre- pubescent “love,” into a downright proper horror film. When I say “Horror,” it is without  any Western qualifiers alluding to the campy Hollywood perception of a horror flick—   i.e. Freddy, from the Nightmare on Elmstreet and Jason, from the Friday the 13^th movie empires. [In Let the Right One In] Audience members wince as they hear the crunch of  canines tearing into human flesh; We squirm as Eli slurps at his jugular vein as if it was a   lifeline; and then, finally we sympathize, as Eli breaks down sobbing at the murder she  has just committed. “The poor androgynous girl is starving! Let her eat!” the audience ultimately deliberates, and that is the genius of director Tomas Alfredson. ”
[EXCERPT from paper:

Let the Right One In: Translation or Rejection? That is the Question.]

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Who could say no to this face?