This romantic horror movie has viewers in a spin, and it is available to watch on two streaming platforms. Let the Right One In has both critics and fans impressed, with one describing it as the “best horror movie ever”. The 2008 release is a Swedish drama horror with romance added in for good measure, and it has a near-perfect score of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is not often the case for a thriller.
Let the Right One In was directed by Tomas Alfredson and written by John Ajvide Lindqvist, who adapted it from his 2004 novel. It stars Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson and Per Ragnar among others. The film’s synopsis reads: “When Oskar (Hedebrant), a sensitive, bullied 12-year-old boy living with his mother in suburban Sweden, meets his new neighbor, the mysterious and moody Eli (Leandersson), they strike up a friendship. Initially reserved with each other, Oskar and Eli slowly form a close bond, but it soon becomes apparent that she is no ordinary young girl. Eventually, Eli shares her dark, macabre secret with Oskar, revealing her connection to a string of bloody local murders.”
Let the Right One has wowed viewers and critics alike and its Rotten Tomatoes scores of 98% (critics) and 90% (audience) reflect that. The critics consensus reads: “Let the Right One In reinvigorates the seemingly tired vampire genre by effectively mixing scares with intelligent storytelling.”
One critic said: “A near perfect horror film that captures the horrors of bullying and coming of age in a chilly, unflinching fashion. Is this a classic queer romance or a morally conflicted tragedy? The answer may just be yes.”
“The film is peculiar in all the ways it should be, and it’s one that is exquisitely imagined. By the time the credits roll, Let the Right One In really sinks its fangs in, and you are happy it did,” another critic added.
A viewer described the film as the “best horror movie ever,” with another adding that it “is chilling in more ways than one”.
An audience reviewer said: “Brilliant modern vampire movie! This one is legitimately creepy, suspenseful, and scary all rolled into a very well written and performed storyline. Definitely a must see if you like horror movies.”
“An absolutely haunting modern horror classic,” another added.
Let the Right One In is available to stream on Amazon Prime and BFI player.