Let the Right One In (2008)
92%RT Audience Score: 90%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
75 wins & 58 nominations total
Let the Right One In reinvigorates the seemingly tired vampire genre by effectively mixing scares with intelligent storytelling.
Let the Right One In is the perfect blend of horror and heart, with a vampire love story that will make you swoon and shiver at the same time. The snowy landscapes of Sweden provide a stunning backdrop for this exquisitely crafted film, and the moody soundtrack will have you on the edge of your seat. It’s not your typical blood-and-guts horror flick, but rather a beautifully made and hauntingly realized masterpiece that will redefine the genre for years to come. So grab some popcorn, turn off the lights, and let the right one in.
Production Company(ies)
London Film Productions,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Örnäset, Luleå, Norrbottens län, Sweden
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some bloody violence including disturbing images, brief nudity and language
Year of Release
2008
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):Swedish, Spanish
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Country of origin:France, Sweden
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 24, 2008 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 10, 2009
Genre(s)
Horror
Keyword(s)
Worldwide gross: $11,227,336
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $15,465,226
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,807
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,686,502
US/Canada gross: $2,122,065
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $2,923,063
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,943
US/Canada opening weekend: $49,295
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $67,902
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,093
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $4,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $5,509,847
Production budget ranking: 1,857
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $2,967,053
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $6,988,326
ROI to date (est.): 82%
ROI ranking: 1,004
Lina Leandersson – Eli
Per Ragnar – Hakan
Henrik Dahl – Erik
Karin Bergquist – Yvonne
Peter Carlberg – Lacke
Director(s)
Tomas Alfredson
Writer(s)
John Ajvide Lindqvist
Producer(s)
Carl Molinder, John Nordling
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
75 wins & 58 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (194) | Top Critics (56) | Fresh (190) | Rotten (4)
My favorite Swedish import.
December 18, 2020
Annalee Schafranek
Bitch Media
TOP CRITIC
Sinister but gorgeous and compelling.
October 7, 2013
Carina Chocano
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
A remarkably moving horror tale, about a pale, bullied twelve-year-old boy (Kåre Hedebrant) and his first love (Lina Leandersson), who happens to be a vampire.
October 7, 2013
Bruce Diones
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
Lovelier than most bloodsucker flicks, but it doesn’t quite transcend its well-chewed genre.
July 6, 2010
Mark Jenkins
NPR
TOP CRITIC
Exquisitely crafted.
July 6, 2010
Laura Kern
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Calling to mind the work of Anne Rice and Stephen King, atmospheric adaptation of Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvist’s bestseller is well directed by his countryman Tomas Alfredson.
July 6, 2010
Alissa Simon
Variety
TOP CRITIC
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.
April 25, 2022 | Rating: 5/5
Joe Lipsett
Horror Queers Podcast
Gorgeous, haunting and poignant, Let the Right One ranks among the best vampire films.
April 18, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
Trace Thurman
Horror Queers Podcast
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.
November 12, 2021
Kristy Strouse
Wonderfully Weird and Horrifying
Production values are pretty good: everything looks believably “eighties”, the snowscapes of Sweden look mighty fine and everything is underscored by a suitably moody soundtrack.
January 23, 2020
Ard Vijn
ScreenAnarchy
Beautifully made and exquisitely realised by all involved, this is a remarkable movie that redefines horror film-making and deserves to reach as wide an audience as possible.
October 29, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Nikki Baughan
Roll Credits
This is not your typical blood-and-guts horror film…the heart of Let the Right One In is the friendship between Oskar and Eli. Despite Eli’s vampirism, this relationship feels realistic.
October 2, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/5
David Harris
Spectrum Culture…
Plot
Oskar, a bullied 12-year old, dreams of revenge. He falls in love with Eli, a peculiar girl. She can’t stand the sun or food and to come into a room she needs to be invited. Eli gives Oskar the strength to hit back but when he realizes that Eli needs to drink other people’s blood to live he’s faced with a choice. How much can love forgive? Set in the Stockholm suburb of Blackeberg in 1982.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Kåre Hedebrant delivers a thoroughly convincing performance as a creepy youngster who finds the monotony in his life broken by extraordinary and dangerous situations.
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