Let the Right One In [Blu-ray]

Director: Tomas Alfredson, John Nordling, Carl Molinder Tomas Alfredson

Overview

A 12-year-old boy befriends a mysterious young girl whose appearance in town suspiciously coincides with a horrifying series of murders in director Tomas Alfredson's adaptation of the book by author John Ajvide Lindqvist, who also wrote the screenplay. Oskar is a young boy who can't seem to shake off the local bullies, but all of that begins to change when a new neighbor moves in next door. After striking up an innocent friendship with his eccentric next-door neighbor, Oskar realizes that she is the vampire responsible for the recent rash of deaths around town. Despite the danger, however, Oskar's friendship with the girl ultimately takes precedence over his fear of her.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/10/2009
UPC:	0876964001793
Original Release:	2008
Rating:	R
Source:	Magnolia Home Ent
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Language:	English
Time:	1:55:00
Sales rank:	16,243

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Kåre Hedebrant	Oskar,Actor
Lina Leandersson	Eli
Henrik Dahl	Erik
Karin Bergquist	Yvonne
Peter Carlberg	Lacke
Tomas Alfredson	Actor
Hoyte Van Hoytema	Actor
Johan Söderqvist	Actor,Composer
Frida Asp	Actor
John Ajvide Lindqvist	Actor
Mikael Brodin	Actor
Peter Aversten	Actor
Gunnar Carlsson	Actor
Anders Degerberg	Actor
Ricard Constantinou	Actor
Christoffer Demby	Actor
Suzanne Hamilton	Actor
Petter Fladeby	Actor
Henric Larsson	Actor
Jonas Jansson	Actor
Carl Molinder	Actor
John Nordling	Actor
Lena Rehnberg	Actor
Per-Erik Svensson	Actor
Eriks kompis	Actor
Ika Nord	Virginia
Karl-Robert Lindgren	Gösta
Mikael Rahm	Jocke
Pale Olofsson	Larry
Rasmus Luthander	Jimmy
Anders Peedu	Morgan,Morgan
Malin Cederblad	Sjukhusreceptionist
Cayetano Ruiz	Magister Avila
Ingemar Raukola	Vaktmästaren
Patrik Rydmark	Conny
Johan Sömnes	Andreas
Mikael Erhardsson	Martin
Tom Ljungman	Ung man 1
Sören Källstigen	Janne - Eriks kompis
Berndt Östman	Virginias sjuksköterska
Kajsa Linderholm	Lärarinnan
Adam Stone	Polis i klassen
Kent Rishaug	Kioskägaren
Linus Hanner	Pojke som dödas
Fredrik Ramel	Ung man 2
Per Ragnar	Håkan
Christoffer Bohlin	Matte - upphängd pojke
Julia Nilsson	Tonårstjej 1
Elin Almén	Tonårstjej 2
Susanne Ruben	Eli åldrad
Bengt Bylund	Voices
Johan Somnes	Andreas
Bengt Lindström	Voices
Elif Ceylan	Voices
Soren Kallstigen	Janne, Erik's friend
Libby Brien	Voices
Malin Cederbladh	Hospital Receptionist
Bernt Ostman	Virginia's nurse

Technical Credits

John Ajvide Lindqvist

Tomas Alfredson	Director
John Ajvide Lindqvist	Screenwriter
Carl Molinder	Producer,Director
John Nordling	Producer,Director
Robin Blick	Special Effects
Fido Film	Special Effects
Anna Zakrisson	Casting
Maggie Widstrand	Casting
Per Sundström	Sound/Sound Designer
Jonas Jansson	Sound/Sound Designer
Patrik Stromdahl	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Pre-adolescent angst has rarely been as eerie or unsettlingly honest as it is in director Tomas Alfredson's stylish, psychologically complex tale of friendship between a tormented schoolboy and his new neighbor -- a reclusive 12-year-old girl who isn't exactly what she appears to be. Adapted from the popular novel by author John Ajvide Lindqvist, who also wrote the screenplay, Let the Right One In is one of those rare genre films that uses fantasy not as a means to its own ends, but as a springboard to exploring topical issues and mature themes that might come off as clichéd if explored within the restraining confines of a real-world setting. What we get, instead, is a thoughtfully plotted adult fable that builds quiet momentum while winding toward a true stunner of a climax that will literally leave you breathless. Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) is a smart kid, though his morbid interests and limited social skills make him something of an outcast among his classmates, as well as a tempting target for one particularly pitiless schoolyard bully. Largely ignored at home, where he quietly passes off his bruises as playground accidents, Oskar soon strikes up a friendship with his mysterious neighbor Eli (Lina Leandersson), who appears seemingly out of nowhere one night in their moonlit apartment-complex courtyard. At first Eli claims that under no circumstances can she and Oskar be friends, though her initially steely resolve seems to weaken significantly after a few more encounters in the courtyard and a revelation by Oskar that the picked-upon boy has never felt comfortable sharing with his emotionally distant parents. But as Oskar attempts to summon the courage needed to strike back at his tormentors, something unusual is happening around town; there's a serial killer on the loose -- a homicidal maniac with an insatiable bloodlust. As the locals attempt to identify the killer and Oskar makes a shocking discovery about Eli, the time comes for the frightened boy to weigh his fears against his instincts while taking his tenuous first steps toward manhood. As with many page-to-screen translations, Let the Right One In at times feels slightly compromised for the sake of streamlining the story: Who is Eli's gruff caretaker, and how did their relationship come to be? What has driven Oskar away from his parents, and why are they so quick to accept his transparent excuse regarding the painful-looking cut on his cheek? Yet rather than leaving us frustrated, these tantalizingly vague omissions allow viewers to fill in the gaps with their imagination while Alfredson and Lindqvist focus on Oskar's connection with Eli, and the manner in which the two outcasts find comfort in one another's company as the threats to both continue to grow increasingly dire. Oskar and Eli may be sympathetic victims of circumstance, but that doesn't mean that either of them is entirely innocent and benevolent, and it's this strange, slightly unsettling dynamic that infuses Let the Right One In with the compelling air of menace as the film winds to its unpredictable showstopper of a conclusion. As the knife-wielding schoolboy who may know a bit too much for comfort about crime scene investigation, screen newcomer Hedebrant manages the formidable feat of making the audience care for Oskar even after the character revels some alarming traits, while Leandersson shines equally bright in her big-screen debut as Eli, the complex character whom fans of the film are sure to debate over for years to come. Though subtlety and atmosphere may be two of the key factors that help distinguish Let the Right One In from a vast majority of jump-cut-laden adolescent vampire flicks, the filmmakers don't shy away when the time comes for all hell to break loose. Not only does that stylistic decision allow cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema the chance to get a little creative during some of the film's more intense sequences, but it also helps to make the violence all the more effective when it actually occurs onscreen, skillfully laying the groundwork for a beautifully executed payoff that will nudge Let the Right One In into near-classic territory for many. And while Johan Söderqvist's achingly maudlin score occasionally negates some of the film's finer subtleties by dictating emotion to the audience, that one minor creative misstep is hardly enough to prevent Let the Right One In from being one of the most challenging and satisfying vampire films in recent memory.