That was an excellent one.

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

If you're reading this, you know the basic premise of "Let Me In." If you DON'T, I recommend you immediately stop reading this and watch the movie blind, because I can only imagine that it would be the experience of a lifetime. For the rest of you, what will follow is my thoughts and analysis on what I consider to be one of the best films that I have ever had the pleasure of viewing."Let Me In," directed by Matt Reeves, stars Kody Smit-McPhee as Owen, a lonely, bullied 12-year-old boy. He goes through life with a mother who is implied to be fervent in her religious zeal, with a father who seems to never make an effort to visit him because of his hatred for his soon-to-be ex-wife, and with a group of three children who make it their daily goal to terrorize him as much as the law allows, and then some. What they do to Owen is virtually unforgivable, but luckily, a 12-year-old girl moves into the same apartment complex as Owen and gives him some potentially life-saving advice: when the bullies hit him, he needs to hit back harder.This girl, Abby, is played by Chloë Grace Moretz who, without a doubt, should have won an Oscar for her performance; she steals every single scene that she's in, and portrays a complex character who is equally lovable and terrifying - on one hand you feel for her, and on the other, you can see her manipulativeness, but whether or not she is being purposefully manipulative is a different discussion altogether. Going into this film, I expected mediocrity. I knew it was a vampire movie, and a remake, and that's all. I held off seeing it in theaters 8 years ago, mostly because I was 14 and too afraid to go watch a "horror" movie. But finally, watching this film at the ripe old age of 22, I've learned two things: 1) 14-year-old me was dumb af for not going to see this, and 2) "Let Me In" is much more than a horror film, and to classify it as such completely tarnishes the complexity and BEAUTY of the movie. Watch the trailer for this film. Go ahead, watch it, but ONLY after you watch the actual movie. Then watch the trailer and witness, right before your eyes, the butchering of one of the best love and coming-of-age dramas in recent years. And if for some unknown reason you liked the trailer, then I bet you didn't like the movie because the trailer portrays a movie that was never made. While the trailer markets the film as a straight up horror film, filled to the brim with all the little girl vampire action you could ever want, the actual movie is a slow-burn, meticulously planned, methodical love story, but is also, somehow, much more than that, too.You see, the meat of the film lies on the relationship between Owen and Abby - if the chemistry and acting is unbelievable, then as a result the film would be as well. But because both performers act in a very mature and human manner, the film is elevated well beyond what anyone would expect from a so-called "vampire" movie. The most interesting aspect of the film is how it handles the relationship between Abby and Owen. It is obvious that they have feelings for each other, and Owen, while horrified that the girl he feels love for has to rip open people's throats with her teeth to survive, clearly feels for her regardless. And I will admit, watching their friendship turn into something more, watching these two people develop feelings for each other, it was sweet, but underneath it all is a feeling of dread and hopelessness as the audience knows what will become of Owen if he continues his life with Abby in it. And to me, that is what's so brilliant about this film. At its core, it is a romance and coming-of-age tale about two children who are trying to figure themselves out in a world that constantly hands them cruelty. Abby and Owen need each other - that much is clear, and as much as a joy it is to watch them become friends, it also stings, knowing that Owen will most likely eventually be forced to do the same thing as Abby's previous caretaker: stalk, kidnap, and murder people, all to drain their blood so Abby can survive. What kind of a life is that to live? We see the misery in Abby's caretakers face, the pain and the anger, and we know that for years he has murdered a countless number of people so the girl he fell in love with can live. Owen may believe that he has found true love in Abby, but we know that the possibility exists that he will turn into the same miserable, angry, tired caretaker that will be forced to kill others so someone else may live. It's diabolical, really, but so thought provoking. But on the other hand, "Let Me In" is also a movie that teaches people to look beyond the surface. Let me explain: Abby obviously contains an evil side to her, as EVERYONE does. However, Abby's evil is a little more extreme. For example, while you or I might decide to shoplift or trick people out of money, Abby has to rip open people's throats to survive. If we saw someone do that, we would definitely be horrified, much as Owen at first is. The difference between us and Owen is, however, that Owen knows this evil doesn't define Abby. She does evil things, but she isn't evil. He understands this and looks past her evil actions to see who she really is as a whole, complete, complex person. And the film almost dares us to do the same. We see Owen's bullies as, well, evil, but then we see why one of them is the bully that he is. The film asks us, do we continue to demonize him, or will we feel bad for him, even as he continues to terrorize Owen? And at the end of the film, when the bullies reap what they have sowed, the film is almost mocking us in a way. Are we satisfied to see (or rather hear) these bullies getting ripped to shreds, or should we be like Owen is with Abby and look beyond their actions and into their core?"Let Me In" is a movie I haven't been able to stop thinking about it, and I watched it two weeks ago. It is a beautiful, thought-provoking, romantic, dramatic, and dark film that may have taken its place as number one among my favorite movies. Part drama, part romance, part coming-of-age tale, "Let Me In" is a film that asks its audience to question preconceived notions about evil and humanity, about love and romance, and about friendship. I urge you to watch this movie and let it change the way you think about life. - 10/10

Really good movie, excellent acting from everyone. I don't get why some of these reviews are bashing it so much!

Anybody thinking of making a vampire movie should watch 'Let Me In' first and use it as a reference, because this is exactly how this tricky sub-genre should be approached. This is one of the few vampire films I've encountered that actually has a solid and believable plot. It's a story that could stand on its own without all the blood and gore.From the first scene to the last, 'Let Me In' is a very well-made film. The story develops at a slow pace but it is effective in building tension and creating an atmosphere of fear and dread. We know what's coming in many of the scenes but there are still some very effective scares. 'Let Me In' is a cracker of a film and on a par with some of the best films in the vampire genre. Definitely recommended for horror fans.

As someone who has (seemingly unfortunately)not watched the original 'Let The Right One In', I have found Reeves' 2010 remake to be one of those understated and under-appreciated gems of film that make me thoroughly happy to have a Netflix account. Truthfully I selected this title with a sigh, wanting a film from the horror genre but grimly aware that most films of the flavour come and go straight into my 'eh' bucket. So imagine my surprise that two days later I am still thinking about the expertly crafted mystery/romance/thriller/horror/growing pains story that can't be singularly lumped into the horror genre without considerable insult to the film.First up is Casting, and for good reason. While many of us sniff at the notion of a good child actor (myself included), I cannot deny that watching Moretz and Smit-McPhee outperform many adult actors at the strangers-turned-romancers story was highly amusing. The on-screen chemistry they share and the adolescent romantic tension they exude is just palpable. Chloe Moretz rightly steals the stage at every turn with a versatile acting ability that far belays her youth. Unfortunately this review is too little, too late to express her talent in words better than other reviews, so I'll sum it up as an all-round powerhouse of a performance.The actor I can't quite shake however is Kodi Smit-McPhee and his role as the quiet and troubled Owen; at school, at home and inside his own psyche. While not necessarily the strongest performance of the film, I think this is the one that truly made it so dark and disconcerting. If everyone loved Haley Joel Osment as the 'sweet kid with a troubled home' character, Smit-McPhee is without doubt the 'victimised child slowly turning serial killer'. From the peeping to the masked knife-wielding, from how he mewls his words and the constant tightness of his shoulders to the almost unflinching gaze at what the normal child would perceive as frightful, Owen is clearly a child who is as much afraid of the day and comfortable at night as the blonde creature he comes to fall for.A pleased nod to the rest of the supporting cast too. While there aren't many secondary roles in this film, Jenkins always brings a good performance to fatherly and guardian roles, and Dylan Minnette pulls off a surprisingly OK bully.With that said and done the real MVP of this is Matt Reeves, who has brought together a remarkable cast and walked them through a purposefully paced atmosphere of fear, curiosity, suspense and the cold. I found the lighting very good: a great contrast of dark corners and shadow against the bare bulbs of urbanised living and crisp white snow. The camera work too sat nicely between wide shots of Owen set apart from his peers and the intimate closed shots of the young acting duo. The only thing I felt nothing special for was the music - a few suspenseful ambiance tracks straight from the thriller shelf at HMV that lead to an overall meh of audio. That said, it did the job.I have read many reviews prior to writing this, comparing it to the 2008 original and being unimpressed with the level of blood and violence in the film. I find myself thankful that I am unencumbered with experience in the original film to draw that conclusion, as Let Me in has the kind of blood and gore that fully appreciates the diet and violence of a vampire without over-saturating the picture through gratuitous red (Blade, anyone? (I sort of enjoyed Blade, but still)).For me personally, a good horror/thriller finds the balance between the PG and the ridiculously bloody, the dull and the pants-wetting. Let Me In nails it - Great casting, engrossing atmosphere, tangible and believable suspense. This film is a beacon of the genre, guiding me back to land where others have left me floundering in the rocks of disappointment.Final note - Don't read this unless you genuinely watched the film.As much as I enjoyed the bittersweet fledgling romance between Owen and Abby, as I come away from the film a few days later I am reminded of the picture Owen finds in her house: Abby and her guardian as children taken a few generations ago. I realise the sourness of a new question - Were they childhood friends, or perhaps was he Abby's past, now aged and dead love interest? Is she less of an innocent child vampire and more of a cunning, manipulative immortal man-eater refreshing her carer/chef by tugging on some lonely heartstrings? It's a whole new film when I think about it this way (remember watching Fight Club for the second time, knowing Jack/Tyler is just a fruit-loop? Yeah, like that).I haven't felt this engaged with a vampire story since Stake Land.