This week Director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) brings us his version of Let Me In, the drama/horror film based on the 2004 vampire fiction novel by Swedish writer John Ajvide Lindqvist and the 2008 Swedish film Let the Right One In, directed by Tomas Alfredson. It tells the story of a bullied 12-year-old boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee) who develops a friendship with a vampire child (Chloë Moretzin - Kick Ass) in a New Mexico town in the early 1980s.
Alfredson was against Reeves' version. Concerned that his touching and haunting film has evolved into something mainstream he has stated "If one should remake a film, it's because the original is bad. And I don't think mine is. Remakes should be made of movies that aren't very good, that gives you the chance to fix whatever has gone wrong. I'm very proud of my movie and I think it's great, but the Americans might have another opinion."
The comparison between the films is perhaps playing on Alfredson's mind more than critics, as both films have/are being received well.
Let The Right One In had less of a commercial push and hype prior to it's release, however it's worth checking out. Brilliantly adapted from the novel with a chilling atmosphere; its good to see some originality in a story that steers away from the usual vampire-flick clichés. A decent time-filler whilst you wait for the Let Me In DVD to drop on your doormat.
Let Me In is released in UK cinemas 5 November
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