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Meanwhile, Håkan has killed a series of local residents in succession in order to drain and collect their blood to provide sustenance for Eli. However, he repeatedly runs into obstacles. When his last attempt fails, and he is about to be caught, he purposely disfigures himself by pouring acid on his face, preventing the authorities from identifying him and tracing Eli. Eli finds out where Håkan is being held at the local hospital and climbs up to his window sill. Håkan opens the window and offers his neck for Eli to feed on. Afterwards, he falls out the window to his death.
Meanwhile, Håkan has killed a series of local residents in succession in order to drain and collect their blood to provide sustenance for Eli. However, he repeatedly runs into obstacles. When his last attempt fails, and he is about to be caught, he purposely disfigures himself by pouring acid on his face, preventing the authorities from identifying him and tracing Eli. Eli finds out where Håkan is being held at the local hospital and climbs up to his window sill. Håkan opens the window and offers his neck for Eli to feed on. Afterwards, he falls out the window to his death.


Now alone, Eli agrees to "go steady" with Oskar, who eventually suggests that they form a [[Blood brother|blood bond]]. He cuts his hand and asks Eli to do the same. This provokes the blood-thirsting Eli to savagely lap up Oskar's spilt blood from the floor. Eli succeeds in holding back just long enough to beg Oskar to leave, before finally fleeing herself. Soon after, Eli attacks Ginia, a local woman. Her boyfriend, Lacke, whose best friend, Jocke, was killed by Eli a few days earlier, turns up just in time to interrupt the attack.
Now alone, Eli agrees to "go steady" with Oskar, who eventually suggests that they form a [[Blood brother|blood bond]]. He cuts his hand and asks Eli to do the same. This provokes the blood-thirsting Eli to savagely lap up Oskar's spilt blood from the floor. Eli succeeds in holding back just long enough to beg Oskar to leave, before finally fleeing as well. Soon after, Eli attacks Ginia, a local woman. Her boyfriend, Lacke, whose best friend, Jocke, was killed by Eli a few days earlier, turns up just in time to interrupt the attack.


Ginia survives the attack, but soon discovers that she has become painfully sensitive to sunlight. Thirsting for blood, she pays a visit to the eccentric Gösta. As soon as she enters the apartment, Gösta's many cats attacked her fiercely. In the hospital, Ginia realizes that she has become a vampire and decides she cannot cope with it. In the morning, she asks a doctor to open the blinds in her room. When the sunlight streams in, she bursts into flames. Lacke, who has lost everything because of Eli, seeks out Håkan and Eli's apartment for vengeance. He finds Eli sleeping in the bathtub and prepares to kill Eli. Unbeknownst to him, Oskar is hiding in the apartment. Just as Lacke is about to strike, Oskar distracts him. Eli is alerted by the noise and kills Lacke. Eli is no longer safe there and tells Oskar about the need to go away. Before Eli leaves, however, they share their first kiss. Oskar returns home to his visibly upset mother and seals himself in his room. He reads a newspaper article querying about the murderer of Jocke, and watches a car, presumably with Eli inside, drive away. The scene ends with a montage of Eli's empty apartment, Oskar staring out the window and leaving an impression of his hand against the cold glass, and a view of the now-quiet playground.
Ginia survives the attack, but soon discovers that she has become painfully sensitive to sunlight. Thirsting for blood, she pays a visit to the eccentric Gösta. As soon as she enters the apartment, Gösta's many cats attacked her fiercely. In the hospital, Ginia realizes that she has become a vampire and decides she cannot cope with it. In the morning, she asks a doctor to open the blinds in her room. When the sunlight streams in, she bursts into flames. Lacke, who has lost everything because of Eli, seeks out Håkan and Eli's apartment for vengeance. He finds Eli sleeping in the bathtub and prepares to kill Eli. Unbeknownst to him, Oskar is hiding in the apartment. Just as Lacke is about to strike, Oskar distracts him. Eli is alerted by the noise and kills Lacke. Eli is no longer safe there and tells Oskar about the need to go away. Before Eli leaves, however, they share their first kiss. Oskar returns home to his visibly upset mother and seals himself in his room. He reads a newspaper article querying about the murderer of Jocke, and watches a car, presumably with Eli inside, drive away. The scene ends with a montage of Eli's empty apartment, Oskar staring out the window and leaving an impression of his hand against the cold glass, and a view of the now-quiet playground.

Revision as of 06:48, 24 January 2010

Let the Right One In
Theatrical release poster
Directed byTomas Alfredson
Written byNovel and screenplay:
John Ajvide Lindqvist
Produced byCarl Molinder
John Nordling
StarringKåre Hedebrant
Lina Leandersson
Per Ragnar
CinematographyHoyte van Hoytema
Edited byTomas Alfredson
Daniel Jonsäter
Music byJohan Söderqvist
Distributed byMagnolia Pictures (US)
Sandrew Metronome (Scandinavia)
Momentum Pictures (United Kingdom)
Release dates
Gothenburg Film Festival:
26 January 2008
Sweden, United States:
24 October 2008
Australia:
19 March 2009
Ireland:
8 April 2009
United Kingdom:
10 April 2009
Running time
114 minutes
CountrySweden
LanguageSwedish
Budgetc. 29 million SEK (c. $4 million)
Box office$10,562,447[1]

Let the Right One In (Swedish: Låt den rätte komma in) is a Template:Fy Swedish romantic horror film directed by Tomas Alfredson. It is based on the novel of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist, who also wrote the screenplay for the film. It tells the story of a bullied 12-year-old boy who develops a friendship with a vampire child in Blackeberg, a suburb of Stockholm, in the early 1980s. Alfredson, unfamiliar with the horror and vampire genres, decided to tone down many elements of the novel and focus primarily on the relationship between the two main characters. Selecting the lead actors involved a year-long process with open castings held all over Sweden. In the end, then 11-year-olds Kåre Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson were chosen for the leading roles. They were subsequently commended by both Alfredson and film reviewers for their performances.

The film received widespread international critical acclaim and won numerous awards, including the "Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature" at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival and the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation's 2008 Méliès d'Or (Golden Méliès) for the "Best European Fantastic Feature Film", as well as four Guldbagge Awards from the Swedish Film Institute. Due to the film's initial success at various film festivals, the rights for an English-language remake of the film sold before the film had its theatrical release. Matt Reeves will direct the remake, slated for release in 2010.

Plot

Oskar, a meek 12-year-old boy, lives with his mother in the western Stockholm suburb of Blackeberg in 1982. His classmates regularly bully him, and he spends his evenings imagining revenge. One night, he meets Eli, who appears to be a pale girl his own age. Eli has recently moved in next door to Oskar with an older man named Håkan. Eli initially informs Oskar that they cannot be friends. However, over time, they begin to share their lonely existence together, playing and exchanging Morse code messages through their apartment wall. Eli eventually discovers that Oskar is being bullied at school, and encourages him to stand up for himself. This inspires Oskar to finally stand up to his tormentors during a field trip. He strikes his main antagonist, Conny, on the side of the head with a pole, injuring him.

Meanwhile, Håkan has killed a series of local residents in succession in order to drain and collect their blood to provide sustenance for Eli. However, he repeatedly runs into obstacles. When his last attempt fails, and he is about to be caught, he purposely disfigures himself by pouring acid on his face, preventing the authorities from identifying him and tracing Eli. Eli finds out where Håkan is being held at the local hospital and climbs up to his window sill. Håkan opens the window and offers his neck for Eli to feed on. Afterwards, he falls out the window to his death.

Now alone, Eli agrees to "go steady" with Oskar, who eventually suggests that they form a blood bond. He cuts his hand and asks Eli to do the same. This provokes the blood-thirsting Eli to savagely lap up Oskar's spilt blood from the floor. Eli succeeds in holding back just long enough to beg Oskar to leave, before finally fleeing as well. Soon after, Eli attacks Ginia, a local woman. Her boyfriend, Lacke, whose best friend, Jocke, was killed by Eli a few days earlier, turns up just in time to interrupt the attack.

Ginia survives the attack, but soon discovers that she has become painfully sensitive to sunlight. Thirsting for blood, she pays a visit to the eccentric Gösta. As soon as she enters the apartment, Gösta's many cats attacked her fiercely. In the hospital, Ginia realizes that she has become a vampire and decides she cannot cope with it. In the morning, she asks a doctor to open the blinds in her room. When the sunlight streams in, she bursts into flames. Lacke, who has lost everything because of Eli, seeks out Håkan and Eli's apartment for vengeance. He finds Eli sleeping in the bathtub and prepares to kill Eli. Unbeknownst to him, Oskar is hiding in the apartment. Just as Lacke is about to strike, Oskar distracts him. Eli is alerted by the noise and kills Lacke. Eli is no longer safe there and tells Oskar about the need to go away. Before Eli leaves, however, they share their first kiss. Oskar returns home to his visibly upset mother and seals himself in his room. He reads a newspaper article querying about the murderer of Jocke, and watches a car, presumably with Eli inside, drive away. The scene ends with a montage of Eli's empty apartment, Oskar staring out the window and leaving an impression of his hand against the cold glass, and a view of the now-quiet playground.

The next morning, Oskar receives a phone call from Conny's friend, Martin, who lures Oskar out to resume an after-school fitness program at the local swimming pool. The bullies, led by Conny and his older brother, Jimmy, start a fire to draw Mr. Ávila, the teacher in charge, outside. This leaves Oskar trapped alone in the pool, where Jimmy forces him to hold his breath underwater for three minutes. Suddenly, a commotion muffled by the water takes place above the surface. Feet skim across the waterline, and soon, Jimmy's severed head drops into the other end of the pool, followed shortly by his arm, which was holding Oskar down. A hypoxic Oskar is then pulled out of the water by Eli, where he quickly comes to his senses and smiles gratefully. Eli smiles in return. A closing wide shot reveals three dismembered bodies around the pool and Andreas, the reluctant fourth bully, sobbing on a bench. The film concludes with Oskar traveling on a train. A large trunk sits next to him, and inside, an unseen Eli taps the word "kiss" to Oskar in Morse code. Oskar smiles and taps back the same.

Cast

  • Kåre Hedebrant as Oskar
  • Lina Leandersson as Eli
  • Per Ragnar as Håkan
  • Henrik Dahl as Erik, Oskar's father
  • Karin Bergquist as Yvonne, Oskar's mother
  • Peter Carlberg as Lacke
  • Ika Nord as Virginia
  • Mikael Rahm as Jocke
  • Karl Robert Lindgren as Gösta
  • Anders T. Peedu as Morgan
  • Pale Olofsson as Larry
  • Cayetano Ruiz as Magister Ávila
  • Patrik Rydmark as Conny
  • Johan Sömnes as Andreas
  • Mikael Erhardsson as Martin
  • Rasmus Luthander as Jimmy
  • Sören Källstigen as Erik's friend
  • Bernt Östman as Virginia's nurse
  • Kajsa Linderholm as the teacher
  • Susanne Ruben as the older Eli

Production

Development

The characteristic subway station of Blackeberg, which features in the film

The film project started in late 2004 when John Nordling, a producer at the production company EFTI, contacted Ajvide Lindqvist's publisher Ordfront to acquire the rights for a film adaption of Ajvide Lindqvist's novel. "At Ordfront they just laughed when I called, I was like the 48th they put on the list. But I called John Ajvide Lindqvist and it turned out we had the same idea of what kind of film we should make. It wasn't about money, but about the right constellation".[2] A friend introduced Tomas Alfredson to the novel.[3] While he normally doesn't like to receive books, because "it's a private thing to choose what to read", he decided to read it after a few weeks.[4] He was deeply affected by the depiction of bullying in the novel. "It's very hard and very down-to-earth, unsentimental (...) I had some period when I grew up when I had hard times in school (...) So it really shook me", he told the Los Angeles Times.[5] Ajvide Lindqvist was already familiar with Alfredson's previous work,[4] and he and Alfredson discovered that they "understood each other very well."[3]

In addition to EFTI, co-producers included Sveriges Television and the regional production centre Filmpool Nord. The production of the film involved a total budget of around 29 million SEK, including support from the Swedish Film Institute and Nordisk Film- & TV Fond.[6][7]

Screenplay

Ajvide Lindqvist had insisted on writing the screenplay himself. Alfredson, who had no familiarity with the vampire and horror genres,[8] initially expressed skepticism at having the original author do the adaptation, but was very satisfied with the end result.[4] Many of the minor characters and events from the book were removed, and focus directed primarily on the love story between the two leads.[9][10][11] In particular, many aspects of the character Håkan, including him being a pedophile, were removed, and his relationship with Eli was left open to interpretation. Alfredson felt that the film could not deal with such a serious theme as pedophilia in a satisfying manner, and that this element would detract from the story of the children and their relationship.[11]

A key passage in the novel details what happens when a vampire enters a room uninvited, an action that something that traditional vampire lore usually prohibits.[12] Alfredson originally wanted to omit this from the film, but Ajvide Lindqvist was adamant that it had to be included.[11] Alfredson was initially nervous about the scene. He realized in post-production that the sound effects and music made it "American, in a bad way", and had to be removed for the scene to work.[13] The end result, which shows Eli slowly beginning to bleed from her eyes, ears, and pores, received positive notices from many critics.[14][15][16] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described it as a "haemophilia of rejection".[12]

The novel presents Eli as an androgynous boy, castrated centuries before by a sadistic vampire nobleman. The film handles the issue of Eli's gender more ambiguously: a brief scene in which Eli changes into a dress offers a glimpse of a suggestive scar but no explicit elaboration.[11] A female actress plays Eli's character, but Eli tries to tell Oskar "I'm not a girl" when Oskar asks that Eli be his girlfriend. According to an interview with the director, as the film was originally conceived, flashbacks explained this aspect in more detail, but these scenes were eventually cut.[17] In the end, Ajvide Lindqvist was satisfied with the adaptation. When Alfredson showed him eight minutes of footage for the first time, he "started to cry because it was so damn beautiful".[18] He subsequently described the film as a "masterpiece".[18] "It doesn't really matter that [Alfredson] didn't want to do it the way I wanted it in every respect. He could obviously never do that. The film is his creative process", he said.[11]

Casting

"Both Kåre and Lina who plays the leading parts are extremely intelligent, have exceptional integrity and are both kinds of strange old people. (...) It took us a year to find them, and I think they’re unprecedentedly fantastic."

—Tomas Alfredson, director[19]

Casting of the lead actors took almost a year,[20] with open castings held all over Sweden. Kåre Hedebrant was selected to audition for the role as Oskar after an initial screening at his school, and eventually landed the role.[21] Lina Leandersson responded to an online advertisement seeking a 12-year old boy or girl who "was good at running".[22] After three more auditions, she was selected to play Eli.[21]

Alfredson has described the casting process as the most difficult part of making the film. [20] He had particular concerns about the interaction between the two leads,[5] and the fact that those who had read the book would have a preconceived notion of how the characters were supposed to look.[23] He wanted the actors to look innocent, and be able to interact in front of the camera. They were supposed to be "mirror images of each other. She is everything he isn't. Dark, strong, brave, and a girl. (...) Like two sides of the same coin."[11] On another occasion, Alfredson stated that "[c]asting is 70 percent of the job; it's not about picking the right people to make the roles. It is about creating chords, how a B and a minor interact together, and are played together."[10]

In the end, Alfredson expressed satisfaction with the result, and has frequently lauded Hedebrant and Leandersson for being "extremely intelligent",[19] "incredibly wise",[23] and "unprecedentedly fantastic."[19]

Filming

The absence of ceilings made various overhead lighting techniques possible

Although the film takes place in Blackeberg, a suburb of Stockholm, principal photography took place in Luleå (in the north of Sweden) to ensure enough snow and cold weather. The area where the filming took place dated from around the same time as Blackeberg, and has similar architecture.[9] However, Alfredson shot a few scenes in the Blackeberg area. In particular, the scene where Eli leaps down on Virginia from a tree, was shot in the town square of Blackeberg.[13] Another scene, where Eli attacks Jocke in an underpass, was shot in the nearby suburb Råcksta.[9] The original Blackeberg underpass that Lindqvist had envisioned was deemed too high to fit in the picture.[13] Due to the extreme cold, many of the outdoor close-up scenes were made in a studio.[17]

The jungle gym where much of the interaction between Oskar and Eli takes place was constructed specifically for the film.[17] Its design was intended to suit the CinemaScope format[17] better than a regular jungle gym, which would typically have to be cropped height-wise.[13]

Most of the filming used a single, fixed, Arri 535B camera, with almost no handheld usage, and few cuts. Tracking shots relied on a track-mounted dolly, rather than Steadicam, to create calm, predictable camera movement.[24] The crew paid special attention to lighting. Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema and director Tomas Alfredson invented a technique they called "spray light". In an interview, van Hoytema describes it as follows: "If you could capture dull electrical light in a can and spray it like hairspray across Eli’s apartment, it would have the same result as what we created". For the emotional scenes between Oskar and Eli, van Hoytema consistently diffused the lighting.[24]

Post-production

The film contains around 50 shots with computer-generated imagery. Alfredson wanted to make them very subtle and almost unnoticeable.[17] The sequence where multiple cats attack Virginia, one of the most complicated scenes to film, required several weeks of drafting and planning. A combination of real cats, stuffed cats and computer-generated imagery was employed.[13]

The film features analogue sound-effects exclusively throughout.[19] The lead sound-designer Per Sundström explained: "The key to good sound effects is working with natural and real sounds.(...) These analogue sounds can be digitally reworked as much as necessary, but the origin has to be natural".[25] The soundscape was designed to come as close to the actors as possible, with audible heartbeats, breathing, and swallowing. Late in production it was also decided to overdub actress Lina Leandersson's voice with a less feminine one, to underline the backstory.[26] "She's 200 years old, not twelve. We needed that incongruity. Besides, it makes her menacing", Sundström said.[25] Both men and women up to the age of forty auditioned for the role. After a vote, the film team ended up selecting Elif Ceylan, who provides all of Eli's spoken dialogue.[27] Footage of Ceylan eating melon or sausage was combined with various animal noises to emulate the sound of Eli biting into her victims and drinking their blood.[25][19]

The sound crew won a Guldbagge Award for Best Achievement from the Swedish Film Institute, for the "nightmarishly great sound" in the film.[28]

Soundtrack

Swedish composer Johan Söderqvist wrote the score. Alfredson instructed him to write something that sounded hopeful and romantic, in contrast to the events that take place in the film.[11] Söderqvist has described the outcome as consisting of both darkness and light, and emphasized melody and harmony as the most important qualities of the music.[29] It is performed by the The Slovak National Symphony Orchestra.[30] The score placed fourth on Ain't it Cool News' Top 10 Best Scores Of 2008 List, being described as "scrupulously weaving together strains of bone-chillingly cold horror with the encompassing warmth of newly acquired love".[30] If magazine described the score as "the most beautifully emotional score yet to grace the undead. It’s a feeling of tender melancholy that delivers its scares in a subtle, chamber orchestra way".[31]

The song "Kvar i min bil", written and performed by Per Gessle, resonates repeatedly through the film. Originally an outtake from Gessle's solo album En Händig Man, the song was specially provided for the film, to resemble the sound of popular 1980s pop group Gyllene Tider.[32] Gessle has described the song as a "bluesy tune with a nice guitar hook”.[33] Other songs in the film include "Försonade" from 1968, written and performed by future ABBA member Agnetha Fältskog,[13] and "Flash in the Night" from 1981, written by Tim Norell and Björn Håkansson and performed by Secret Service.[13]

On November 11, 2008, MovieScore Media released the film soundtrack in a limited edition of 500 copies.[29] It contains 21 of Söderqvist's original scores from the film.

Release

Theatrical

Let the Right One In received its first performance at the Göteborg International Film Festival in Sweden on 26 January 2008[34] where Alfredson won the Festival's Nordic Film Prize.[35] It subsequently played at several other film festivals, including the Tribeca Film Festival in New York (24 April 2008), where it won the Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature,[36] the Edinburgh Film Festival on 25 Jun 2008[37] where it won the Rotten Tomatoes Critical Consensus Award,[38] and the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival in Switzerland on 3 July 2008 where it won the Méliès d'Argent (Silver Méliès).[39] The Swedish premiere was originally planned for 18 April 2008, but following the positive response from the festival screenings, the producers decided to postpone the release until autumn, to allow for a longer theatrical run.[40] At one time there was a plan to release the film for a special series of screenings in Luleå, beginning 24 September and lasting seven days. This was cancelled when the Swedish Film Institute announced that Everlasting Moments had been selected over Let the Right One In as Sweden's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.[41] The distributors released it on 24 October 2008 in Sweden, Norway, and as a limited release in the United States.[42] In Australia, the film was released on 19 March 2009.[43] The film was released in cinemas in the UK on 10 April 2009.[44]

Home media

The film was released in North America on DVD and Blu-ray in March 2009 by Magnet Films, and in the UK in August by Momentum Pictures. The American discs feature both the original Swedish dialogue and an English dubbed version, while the European versions feature only the Swedish, and an audio-descriptive track in English. Icons of Fright reported that the American release had been criticized for using new, oversimplified English subtitles instead of the original theatrical subtitles.[45] This unattributed translation contained many mistakes and reductions, with many fans calling the release unwatchable. Following customer complaints, Magnet stated that they would release an updated version with the original theatrical subtitles, but will not exchange current discs.[46] Director Tomas Alfredson also expressed his dissatisfaction with the DVD subtitles, calling it a "turkey translation". "If you look on the 'net, people are furious about how bad it is done", he added.[47] The UK release retains the theatrical subtitles.

Reception

Swedish critics generally expressed positive reactions to the film. The average rating from 26 reviews listed at the Swedish-language review site Kritiker.se was 4.1 out of 5.[48] Svenska Dagbladet gave the film a rating of 5 out of 6 and hailed Alfredson for his ability to "tell [stories] through pictures instead of words about a society where hearts are turned to icicles and everyone is left on their own, but also about love warm and red like blood on white melting snow".[49] Göran Everdahl for SVT's Gomorron Sverige gave the film 4 out of 5 and described the film as "kitchen sink fantasy" that "gives the vampire story back something it has been missing for a long time: the ability to really frighten us".[50] Expressen and Göteborgs-Posten were less impressed and gave the film 3 out of 5. Expressen criticized it for being unappealing to those uninitiated in vampire films while Göteborgs-Posten believed the supporting characters had lost the emotional depth that made the novel so successful.[51]

Let the Right One In has received widespread acclaim by US critics. As of 19 August  2009 the film had a 98% "fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes based on 144 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2 out of 10, including a 96% "Cream of the Crop" rating from top critics, based on 26 reviews.[52] Additionally, Metacritic has reported an average score of 82 out of 100 based on 30 reviews.[53] Reviewers have commented on the beautiful cinematography and its quiet, restrained approach to the sometimes bloody and violent subject matter.[54] KJ Doughton of Film Threat thought the visuals in the ending were fresh and inventive and would be talked about for years to come.[55] Roger Ebert gave the film 3.5 out of 4 stars, calling it a vampire movie that takes vampires seriously, drawing comparisons to Nosferatu and to Nosferatu the Vampyre. He described it as a story of "two lonely and desperate kids capable of performing dark deeds without apparent emotion", and praised the actors for "powerful" performances in "draining" roles.[56] Ebert later called the film "The best modern vampire movie".[57] One negative review came from Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly, who gave the movie a "C", characterizing it as a "Swedish head-scratcher", with "a few creepy images but very little holding them together".[58]

Bloody Disgusting ranked the film first in their list of the 'Top 20 Horror Films of the Decade', with the article saying "It’s rare enough for a horror film to be good; even rarer are those that function as genuine works of art. Let the Right One In is one of those films – an austerely beautiful creation that reveals itself slowly, like the best works of art do. The simplicity of the story allows Swedish director Tomas Alfredson to focus on these two pre-teen characters with a penetrating insight that not only makes it a great vampire film but a great coming-of-age film as well. At its core, the film is, simply, a human story, a pensive meditation on the transcendent possibilities of human connection. Most of all, it’s a film that sticks with you, and whose stature will continue to grow in the decades to come."[59]

Awards

Alfredson won the Göteborg International Film Festival's Nordic Film Prize as director of Let the Right One In on the grounds that he "succeeds to transform a vampire movie to a truly original, touching, amusing and heart-warming story about friendship and marginalisation".[35] Let the Right One In was nominated in five categories for the Swedish Film Institute's 2008 Guldbagge Award, eventually winning for best directing, screenplay and cinematography as well as a Best Achievement-award to production designer Eva Norén.[60] In awarding the film the "Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature", the top award at the Tribeca Film Festival, the jury described the film as a "mesmerizing exploration of loneliness and alienation through masterful reexamination of the vampire myth".[36] The film also won the Méliès d'Argent (Silver Méliès) at the Swiss Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival[39] (NIFFF) and went on to win the Méliès d'Or (Golden Méliès) for the "Best European Fantastic Feature Film", awarded by the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation of which NIFFF is a part.[61] Other awards include the first Rotten Tomatoes Critical Consensus Award at the Edinburgh Film Festival.[38]

Despite being an internationally successful film, Let the Right One In was not submitted by Sweden for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The details surrounding the film's eligibility for the award resulted in some confusion.[62] Being released on 24 October 2008, the film would normally be eligible for submission for the 82nd Academy Awards. However, the producers decided to release it on 24 September as a seven day limited run only in Luleå. This would be exactly enough to meet the criteria for the 81st Academy Awards instead.[62] When the Swedish Film Institute on 16 September announced that Jan Troell's Everlasting Moments had been selected instead of Let the Right One In, the Luleå screenings were cancelled. Despite the fact that the film was released within the eligibility period for the 82nd Academy Awards, it wasn't among the films considered because the Swedish Film Institute doesn't allow a film to be considered twice.[62]

Award Category Recipients and nominees Outcome
Saturn Awards[63][64] Best International Film - Won
Best Performance by a Younger Actor Lina Leandersson Nominated
Best Writing John Ajvide Lindqvist Nominated
Austin Fantastic Fest[65] Best Horror Feature - Won
Austin Film Critics Association[66] Best Foreign Language Film - Won
Boston Society of Film Critics Awards[67] Foreign Language Film - Won
British Independent Film Awards[68] Best Foreign Film - Won
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards[69] Best Foreign Language Film - Nominated
Calgary International Film Festival[70] Best International Feature Tomas Alfredson Won
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards[71] Most Promising Filmmaker Tomas Alfredson Won
Most Promising Performer Lina Leandersson Nominated
Chlotrudis Awards[72] Best Cinematography Hoyte Van Hoytema Won
Edinburgh International Film Festival[38] Rotten Tomatoes Critical Consensus Award Tomas Alfredson Won
Fant-Asia Film Festival[73] Best European/North — South American Film Tomas Alfredson Won
Best Director Tomas Alfredson Won
Best Film Tomas Alfredson Won
Best Photography Hoyte Van Hoytema Won
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards[74] Best Foreign Language Film - Won
Guldbagge Awards[28] Best Achievement (Bästa prestation) Eva Norén Won
Best Achievement (Bästa prestation) Per Sundström
Jonas Jansson
Patrik Strömdahl 		Won
Best Cinematography (Bästa foto) Hoyte Van Hoytema Won
Best Direction (Bästa regi) Tomas Alfredson Won
Best Screenplay (Bästa manuskript) John Ajvide Lindqvist Won
Best Film (Bästa film) John Nordling
Carl Molinder 		Nominated
Best Supporting Actor (Bästa manliga biroll) Per Ragnar Nominated
Gérardmer Film Festival Critics Award Tomas Alfredson Won
Best Film Tomas Alfredson Won
Göteborg Film Festival[35] Nordic Film Prize Tomas Alfredson Won
Nordic Vision Award Hoyte Van Hoytema Won
Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival[75] Silver Scream Award Tomas Alfredson Won
Black Tulip Award Tomas Alfredson Won
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards[76] Best Foreign Language Film - Won
NatFilm Festival[77] Critics Award Tomas Alfredson Won
Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival Grand Prize of European Fantasy Film in Silver Tomas Alfredson Won
Special Mention Tomas Alfredson Won
Youth Jury Award Tomas Alfredson Won
Online Film Critics Society Awards[78] Best Foreign Language Film - Won
Best Screenplay, Adapted John Ajvide Lindqvist Won
Breakthrough Filmmaker Tomas Alfredson Won
Breakthrough Performance Lina Leandersson Won
Breakthrough Performance Kåre Hedebrant Nominated
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards Best Foreign Language Film - Won
Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival[79] Best Director Tomas Alfredson Won
Citizen's Choice Award Tomas Alfredson Won
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards[80] Best Foreign Language Film - Won
San Francisco Film Critics Circle[81] Best Foreign Language Film - Won
Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival[82] Grand Prize of European Fantasy Film in Gold Tomas Alfredson Won
Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards[83] Best Foreign Language Film - Won
Toronto After Dark Film Festival[84] Best Feature Film Tomas Alfredson Won
Toronto Film Critics Association Awards[85] Best Foreign-Language Film - Won
Tribeca Film Festival[36] Best Narrative Feature Tomas Alfredson Won
Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards[86] Best Foreign Language Film - Won
Woodstock Film Festival[87] Best Narrative Feature Tomas Alfredson Won

Remake

Main article: Let Me In (film)

Before the release of Let the Right One In took place, Cloverfield director Matt Reeves had signed to write and direct an English language remake for Overture Films and Hammer Films.[88] Hammer Films acquired the remake rights at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival and Overture films plans to release the film in 2010.[89] Alfredson has expressed unhappiness about the remake, saying that "Remakes should be made of movies that aren't very good, that gives you the chance to fix whatever has gone wrong" and expressing concern that the end result would be too mainstream.[17][90][91] Lindqvist, in contrast, is excited that Reeves will be adapting the book from scratch rather than merely copying the original film and that the end result could be quite different.[9] According to Hammer Films producer Simon Oakes, the adaptation will stay relatively close to the original, except that it will be made "very accessible to a wider audience".[92]

In an interview, Reeves expressed his intent to retain the original's early 1980s setting. He mentioned Littleton, Colorado, as a possible location for the remake, and revealed his own strong personal connection to the story: "It's a terrific movie and a fantastic book. I think it could be a really touching haunting and terrifying film. I'm really excited about what it could be."[93] The title of the film was changed to Let Me In,[94][95] and the names of Oskar and Eli were respectively changed to Owen and Abby.[94] In response to criticism of the remake, Reeves commented that: "I can understand because of people's love of the [original] film that there's this cynicism that I'll come in and trash it, when in fact I have nothing but respect for the film. I'm so drawn to it for personal and not mercenary reasons ... I hope people give us a chance."[95] On October 1, 2009, it was confirmed that Kodi Smit-McPhee and Chloë Moretz would be playing the respective roles of Owen and Abby. It was also announced that Richard Jenkins would play the role of the character known as Håkan in the original film.[96] Principal photography began in New Mexico on November 2, 2009.[97] On that same day, Hammer officially announced the additions of Elias Koteas, Cara Buono, and Sasha Barrese to the cast, in the respective roles of a policeman, Owen's mother, and Virginia.[98]

References

  1. ^ LET THE RIGHT ONE IN grosses
  2. ^ Ivarsson, Torbjörn (2007-07-08) "Allt fler böcker blir film." (in Swedish) Dagens Nyheter. Retrieved on 2009-03-06.
  3. ^ a b Melin, Inger (2008-11-07). "Tomas Alfredson om nya filmen: "Skildringen är oerhört kärv"" (in Swedish). Borås Tidning. Retrieved 2009-07-16. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ a b c Douglas, Edward (2008-10-19). "Exclusive: Tomas Alfredson Lets the Right One In". www.shocktillyoudrop.com. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  5. ^ a b King, Susan (2008-10-19). "Tomas Alfredson goes for the right look in 'Let the Right One In'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-03-14. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ "Låt den rätte komma in - Bolag" (in Swedish). Swedish Film Institute. Retrieved 2009-12-09.
  7. ^ Olsson, Tobias (2008-11-26). "Utan Ipred slutar vi göra film" (in Swedish). Svenska Dagbladet. Retrieved 2009-03-08. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ Cockrell, Eddie (2009-03-18). "Let The Right One In". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2009-05-09. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ a b c d Ain't It Cool News. The Northlander Sits Down With The Writer Of LET THE RIGHT ONE IN!, 2008-10-23. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
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  11. ^ a b c d e f g Lagerström, Louise (2008). "Tomas — Den rätte" (PDF) (in Swedish). Swedish Film Institute. p. 5. Retrieved 2009-04-20.
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  20. ^ a b Andersson, Jan-Olov (2008-12-21) "Jag var nära att explodera." (in Swedish) Aftonbladet. Retrieved on 2009-03-06.
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  27. ^ Roger, Susanne (2009-01-12). "Guldbaggar för otäckt ljud i "Låt den rätte komma in"" (in Swedish). FilmNyheterna. Retrieved 2009-08-15. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  28. ^ a b "2008 Guldbagge Award Winners". Swedish Film Institute. 2009-12-01. Retrieved 2009-03-08.
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  32. ^ Tiselius, Henric (2008-10-23). "Vi var flera som ville filma Ajvides bok" (in Swedish). Stockholm City. Retrieved 2009-03-02.
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  34. ^ Göteborg International Film Festival: Låt den rätte komma in
  35. ^ a b c Award ceremony at Göteborg International Film Festival’s closing party
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  37. ^ Edinburgh Film Festival: Let the Right One In
  38. ^ a b c Rotten Tomatoes: Rotten Tomatoes Critical Consensus Award 2008 Presented
  39. ^ a b Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival 2008
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  45. ^ Fright: Let The Wrong Subtitles In To LET THE RIGHT ONE IN?!
  46. ^ Consumerist: US Distributor Of 'Let The Right One In' Says They'll Fix Subtitles, But No Exchanges
  47. ^ Triches, Robert (2009-04-08). "Det är helt sinnessjukt" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. Retrieved 2009-05-15. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  48. ^ Kritiker.se. Retrieved 10 March 2009.
  49. ^ Svenska Dagbladet, 23 October 2008.[1]. "Men framförallt kan Tomas Alfredson konsten att berätta i bilder istället för i ord om ett samhälle där hjärtan förvandlats till istappar och var och en får klara sig bäst den kan, men också om kärlek som uppbrott och befrielse, kärlek varm och röd som blod på vit smältande snö." Retrieved 4 April 2009.
  50. ^ Gomorron Sverige, 23 October 2008. "Förr pratade man om diskbänksrealism — detta är diskbänksfantasy, sagans monster förflyttade till betongstaden. Vilket märkligt nog återger vampyrstoryn något den saknat länge: kraft att verkligen skrämma oss." Retrieved 4 April 2009.
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External links

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