A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

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

This is a good movie. Although there is something that isn't realistic. The bully guy Kenny is way to cruel for a bully. Now I know bullies can be cruel but I doubt that they would be this cruel unless if they were straight up abusive which this guy is. And you know what makes this worse? when the movie was giving dept to this character like when it's revealed that Kenny is bullied himself the movie immediately drops that and it's just him being abusive again. If the movie actually gave more depth to this character than I could feel sympathy for him but no. If the movie revealed that Kenny was abused by his father or something than that would make his actions a lot for justified and understandable but no. Also the movie never gives an explanation for why our main character gets bullied anyway which makes this guy even of an asshole. Anyway there are a few other things that I don't like for example the lighting for the lights outside wasn't very good and the camera work felt kinda weird and unnatural to me but the bully cheractor is the biggest problem I have with this movie.But overall this movie was good. The chemistry between oan and annie was great and I like the mixture between horror and romance.

A-Z Horror Movie of the Day..."Let Me In" (R - 2010 - UK/US)Sub-Genre: Vampire/RebootMy Score: 7.1Cast=6 Acting=7 Plot=8 Ending=7 Story=7 Scare=6 Jump=5 F/X=9 Monster=9 Reboot=7Owen and Abby are lonely souls who find comfort in one another and Abby gives him the strength to face his tormentors. Abby has secrets as well that touch directly on the police investigation. "Then you have to hit back even harder. Hit them harder than you dare and then they will stop." No this is not a PSA on bullying, but it is the American reboot of a great Swedish film!! This was a pretty solid reboot...the only thing missing was the intensity I got from the original. This is definitely worth a watch, but I recommend the original as the better film.

Evaluating a remake is difficult, as the film can be rated with respect to the original or as a standalone product. "Let Me In" is a weak remake and only a mediocre film in its own right. As a remake, it adds nothing to the Swedish original "Let the Right One In" (2008), being almost a frame-for-frame copy. I like Chloë Grace Moretz (based solely on her immortal role as Hitgirl in "Kickass") but she has none of the pathos (or creepiness) of Lina Leandersson, who played the role in the original. The rest of the cast are fine (but acting comparisons are hard as I saw a dubbed version of the Swedish film). Overall, if you watch the original (which is well worth doing), there is no need to watch this version. In its own right, "Let Me In" tells a good story with a few effective scenes but some major weaknesses: the scenes of Abby's otherworldly abilities, such as scaling walls, are not very well done and there is a fire sequence that is on par with the dismal special effects in films from "The Asylum". If I had not seen the Swedish movie (disclaimer: the reason I watched the American version), I would have dismissed "Let Me In" as an adequate if uninspired entry into the 'creepy kid' horror genre (and been prepared to avoid the inevitable crappy sequel, which to their credit, has not appeared (yet, anyway)). Sorry Chloë...but you'll always be Hitgirl to me.