Movie Review - Let Me In

Let Me In (2010)

Starring Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Moretz, Richard Jenkins, Dylan Minette, and Elias Koteas

Directed by Matt Reeves

No need to mince words here.  Go see Let Me In.  As of now (and granted I haven't seen much this year), this is the best film released in 2010 and the best horror movie I've seen in a long while.

Twelve year-old Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is somewhat of a recluse.  He seems to have no friends at school and is constantly being assaulted by a nasty trio headed by bully Kenny (Dylan Minette, Jack's son on Lost...which -- side note -- had me wondering the whole darn time where I recognized the kid from...I just couldn't place him while watching it).  One evening a young girl (Chloe Moretz) and a man (Richard Jenkins) move into Owen's apartment complex.  The girl named Abby, also twelve, is kind to Owen -- something he's never really experienced before.  However, over the course of a month, Owen soon begins to realize that Abby is not who she appears to be...she is, in fact, a vampire and, as is the case with most vampires, she needs blood to survive.

I had seen the Swedish film Let the Right One In (review here) and I felt that it wasn't the least bit frightening.  Director and screenwriter Matt Reeves manages to achieve an overarching sense of dread and tension, while at the same time creating an incredibly intimate character-driven horror movie.  There's no denying that the pace is a little slow, but it's a credit to Reeves (who also directed the non-stop fast-paced Cloverfield) that he manages to keep the story interesting and eerie throughout.  And it's not just his ability to keep things creepy -- he has lensed a great looking film.  There's a dark tone to everything on the screen, but he constructs some exquisite shots.  I honestly can't say enough about Reeves here.  After Cloverfield (which had its faults, but was still enjoyable) and this film, he has absolutely become a director whose future films I will highly anticipate.

He's certainly helped by a great cast of actors.  Smit-McPhee (who I liked in last year's The Road) and Chloe Moretz (who I didn't really care for in this year's Kick-Ass) are wonderful.  Neither of the pre-teens are happy in life, but they both manage to craft characters you instantly care about despite (or perhaps because of) their gloomy, depressed demeanors.  Richard Jenkins also is gripping as Abby's "father" who will do whatever necessary (even if it disgusts him) to keep his girl alive (or as alive as a vampire can be).  Throw in Elias Koteas and Dylan Minette who both manage to make the most out of what could have easily been stereotypical roles as a cop and a bully, respectively, and there's not a single performance in this film that rings false.

As I said above, the pacing in Let Me In is slow and deliberate and it will be a turn-off to some.  Despite some truly frightening moments, this isn't your typical horror film at all.  However, there's a rather beautiful story on display here about friendship and fear, and the fact that director Reeves was able to balance both of those qualities is quite a feat.

The RyMickey Rating:  A-