Let the Right One In (Blu Ray)

Movie Grade: A+

DVD Features Grade: B

Overall Grade: A

Every once and a while, a film comes along that takes a great idea, a brilliant script, incredible production values, and a terrific ensemble together to create a movie that reclassifies itself as an "experience" rather than a work of entertainment. Let the Right One In is that film. It would be entirely too easy to gush about what the film does right, and I will try to keep the praise away from hyperbole in the hopes that I don't set the bar unreasonably high. I suspect the film would still exceed expectations no matter what I say, but I think that the simplest way I can explain it is this, there is no way this film could ever be made in the United States. That's not to say American filmmaking is bad, I happen to enjoy quite a bit of it, it's just that this story would never have made it to screen this way.

Sweden is gorgeous in the wintertime. I've never been there, but I did see Let the Right One In, so I feel like I can say I was there once, if only for a couple of hours. The cold windy atmosphere is palpable, and the constantly floating flecks of snow swirl through almost every shot. The blinding white banks lend even the night scenes a wonderful glow, and if they had shot the whole thing handheld on a store bought camera it would've been pretty cool. Thankfully, they didn't, and the results are nothing short of phenomenal. Every color, every movement, every single angle tells a different story and informs the audience, consciously and unconsciously, about what is important and why. It's been a long time since I've seen a film shot this beautifully, probably not since Road to Perdition, and this Blu-Ray release is one of the first truly justified uses of the format I've had the chance to see.

I don't know who was in charge of casting this film, but they deserve a medal of honor or something. These child actors emote with a genuine honesty that outshines every Oscar winner of the past decade. The amazing part is that they're each only about 12 years old, and I can only imagine what they'll be able to achieve as they grow up. Their chemistry, their friendship, and the bond between them creates a wonderful love story that runs entirely on childhood innocence. Though she's been a twelve year old girl "for a long time", we still get the sense that they exist on a mutual level of emotional maturity and question why the threads of their lives have drawn them to the same place at the same time.

The film doesn't skimp on violence, this is supposedly a horror film after all, but it is such

an incredibly open and wide-ranging horror film that it blows its genre classification wide open. People die, often in a rather grisly fashion, but never gratuitously and never without a specific reason which would further drive the story. Every choice the film makes is based on the story, and where oftentimes the audience is left questioning the choices of the director, here they all feel perfectly natural and refined. My only negative thought is on the subject of CGI cats, which you will understand once you see the movie, and is the only instance of mild discomfort in an otherwise spotless film.

Let the Right One In demonstrates how much power the medium still holds over its audience. It takes a great story, builds the world in which such a narrative could believably take place, and never sacrifices it's goals for the sake of style or frivolity. As I write this, an American company has purchased the rights to the book the film was based on and is gearing up for a remake. In this day and age, it was only a matter of time, but I don't think it really matters that much. True film lovers young and old will still be able to point with pride at the case sitting in between other films on their DVD rack at home. They'll be able to put on a smile and say, "I'm a fan of the original", and that's a feeling that nothing will ever be able to take away.

The Extras:

Honestly, with a movie this good, focusing any attention on the special features is kind of a moot point. Nevertheless, we are given several Deleted Scenes from the film, sequences which would have only detracted from the flow and feel genuinely like they belong on the cutting room floor, and a fairly standard making-of featurette which is depressingly short but still gives us a glimpse into the environment of this unique production. Photo galleries and trailers are among the other features available, but this release is probably the best we're going to get and so I am more than happy to live with it. The sound and picture quality of the Blu-Ray format are truly incredible and a movie like this is the perfect way to test how far your home theater can go. Don't rent it, buy it, and be sure to thank me later.

Movie Grade: A+

DVD Features Grade: B

Overall Grade: A