Movie Review: "Let Me In"

"Let Me In" is probably one of my most favorite horror movie ever!

To celebrate yesterday's release of "Let Me In" DVD and Blu-Ray, I am going to review this one of the best horror movies I've seen! The reason why I was eager to watch this movie so much is: 1) I basically love vampire movies, and 2) the main cast (including the vampire) are children. I saw it for the first time on a Korean music video, which was the soundtrack, and it was all about the movie clips. When I found out that Chloe G. Moretz played a vampire, I put "Let Me In" directly to my 'must watch' list.

Previously I have reviewed the original Swedish version of this movie, "Let The Right One In". It was great, the whole movie was cold and thrilling — it's silent but scary. I barely heard a scoring background in every scene, silence is all around. The feel of cold came out because of that reason, moreover the setting was very snowy. Comparing to the Swedish version, I must say that I enjoyed the English more.

Matt Reeves (the genius behind 2008 hit "Cloverfield" — one of the best fake-documentary movie I've seen after "The Blair Witch Project" and better before "Paranormal Activity") successfully made a fast-paced plot to "Let Me In", so it wasn't too silent and wouldn't make you sleepy.

Still the same story, only different location and names. Set in New Mexico around 1983, a 12 years-old Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is struggling with life in home, dealing with the divorce of his parents; and in school, he is so powerless when it comes to bullies. Thus he becomes a loner, someone who doesn't talk too much but keeping a grudge inside him. When he is alone he loves to act as if he bullies a little girl, something that he won't dare to do in real life.

One day he finally meets the girl who just moved in right next to him with her father outside of their apartment. Her name is Abby (Chloe Grace Moretz). She is a weirdo, that's what he thinks, because she walks with barefeet on the snow wearing only a thin jacket. She says, "I'm not what you think I am," and "We shouldn't be friends,". Owen doesn't know that she brings much 'bad luck' to the small town — well not him, but to the other innocent people.

They fall for each other, of course, and it's a good chemistry. Soon after Owen finds out that Abby is not a human, he gets angry. But at the same time he can't just let her go, because she's practically his only friend. She's the one who encourages him to fight back to the bullies, and he did so. Owen is still in his skinny figure, but his mental grows stronger. In return, Owen teaches Abby how to love, thus she doesn't feel insecure anymore of what she really is. In short, he gives a light of hope to her.

Abby the vampire girl!

The scary part wasn't only when Abby feed on her victims (and when her face changed, my goodness...), but the fact that she's a monster in disguise. We have no idea whether she actually fell in love with Owen, or she just wanted to keep him replacing her previous partner (which only described as her 'father', but he actually wasn't. In a scene, it revealed that her 'father' was a little guy like Owen whom she kept for a very long time to be with her — not just to be her lover but also her 'babysitter' who brings her 'food' everytime she gets 'hungry'.)

This isn't a movie for children, that's for sure. Blood is everywhere. And even though it wasn't very graphic, it's truly disturbing for me. I feel so bad for Owen, his dilemma that is. If he didn't meet Abby he might be still living his miserable life, in which he had wished to get away of. He doesn't want to live there anymore, he wants a new life. And when he meets Abby he knows that he finally gets that chance. To runaway from his sad life, which will make him happier because he's able to be with a girl he likes.

Trust me Owen, if you see it through a different perspective, I believe you'll realize that you have the wrong choice.

This movie is definitely a must-watch material, if you love horror movies! Three stars out of five!

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