Let Me In, B+

Rated R, In Theatres, 115 minutes.
When I heard they’d placed the remake of the delicate Swedish dance Let the Right One In in the hands of Cloverfield director Matt Reeves, I was appalled. Whatever strengths Cloverfield had were largely neutralized by its wholly unsympathetic characters and flat dialogue. Either Mr. Reeves has been hanging out with real humans in real relationships in the ensuing years or his instincts as a screenwriter (he adapted along with John Ajvide Lindqvist, who wrote the Swedish original as well as the novel on which it was based) far outstrip those of Cloverfield scribe Drew Goddard. Whichever, far from being the embarrassing failure I feared, this Hollywoodizing works—in some places even better than the original.

****Spoiler Alert-- This review is written under that assumption that you've watched the first film or don't mind reading comparisons between the two**** The basics have changed little from the source. The setting is the snowy winter of 1984 in Roswell, New Mexico. Owen (Kodi-Smitt McPhee, The Road) is the 12-year-old son of divorcing parents who lives with his deeply religious, alcoholic mother in an apartment building when new girl Abby (Chloe Moretz, 500 Days of Summer) moves in with her older guardian (Richard Jenkins, The Visitor). Owen’s getting the crap kicked out of him at school and is left to fend for himself the rest of the time by his loving but inadequate mother. He passes the time eating Now-and-Later candies and watching his neighbors through a telescope, a set-up either in homage to or stolen straight from Rear Window; in either case its very effective in introducing us to the cast of characters and as a perch from which to watch the action. In the early dark of winter, Abby and Owen bond over their loneliness even as the audience knows that Abby is a ruthless vampire and her apparent guardian is something far more sinister, the man who procures the blood she needs to survive.

The acting is across-the-board stellar. Moretz is quickly establishing herself as a young actress with nearly unparalleled range with her hilarious turn in 500 Days of Summer, action heroine in Kick Ass, and the tender brutality of Abby here. Owen is likewise a wonder as he asks his father if someone can be truly evil, then slowly succumbs. When he reaches out and pulls the door shut on a detective reaching to him as he’s being devoured, you feel the full force of his decision. Richard Jenkins is great if not on the screen that much and Elias Koteas (Shutter Island) as the police detective in pursuit (in a role that is greatly expanded from the original) nails his role.

While this movie isn’t quite the equal to it’s Swedish original, it’s dang close—and after bigger game. Gone is the ambiguity of the original (a loss I sorely felt). While there is still a wistfulness to young Abby, Owen’s role is never up for debate—not even to her. She’s laying a trap to replace the increasingly sloppy Jenkins, a plan that’s sped up with his subsequent death. While she may feel something for Owen, she tells him in the beginning that they can never be friends, and she never deviates from this promise. And, while we are left to surmise Owen’s eventual fate at the end of original, it’s here clearly, if unwittingly, spelled out for us by Owen himself as he sings a closing jingle. Replacing the ambivalence of the first film is an examination of evil and the sources of violence. The use of fundamentalist Christianity in Owen’s mom is interesting and not nearly as flat or dismissive as might be feared. Meanwhile, Owen is ruthlessly shown to be no different from the bullies at school, the ringleader of which is himself the victim of his brother. It’s chilling to hear each exactly mimic the speech of their respective bully as they turn and bully others. It’s hard not to see terrorists in this picture of Owen and his loss of innocence and choice of paths. They’ve also amped the action a bit, along with the violence, and change enough scenes to goose the suspense for fans of the original. Indeed, the suspense across the board is tighter in this telling. The black, white, and gray palate of the original remains intact, as does the general atmosphere and several significant set pieces such as the jungle gym.

The soundtrack here is great for anyone that lived through 1984, with the inspired choices of The Blue Oyster Cults “I’m Burning for You” and The Culture Club’s “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me”. Across the board a very strong film with much to offer even someone who's seen the first several times. Perhaps an A- if I hadn’t seen the original.