Let Me In (2010)
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A bullied boy forms a mysterious bond with a child vampire in 1980s New Mexico.
The story
In March 1983, in Los Alamos, New Mexico, a lonely and unhappy 12-year-old boy named Owen is neglected by his divorcing parents and constantly terrorized by a teenage bully at school. Owen befriends a barefoot little girl named Abby and her older companion, who move in next door. Abby pledges to protect Owen from his bullies, and the two begin communicating through the walls of their apartments using Morse code. As they grow closer, Abby encourages Owen to retaliate against his tormentors, establishing a bond between the two isolated children.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In March 1983, in Los Alamos, New Mexico, a disfigured man jumps from a hospital window, leaving a note for 'Abby.' Two weeks prior, Owen, a bullied 12-year-old boy, meets Abby and her companion, Thomas, who move in next door. Abby promises to protect Owen from his bully, Kenny. They communicate via Morse code through their apartment walls. Abby's companion, Thomas, is eventually hospitalized after a car accident where he pours sulfuric acid on his face. Abby visits him, and he allows her to drink his blood before dying. Abby then invites Owen into her home, and they begin a romantic relationship. During a skating trip, Owen retaliates against Kenny, splitting his ear. Later, Abby reveals her vampire form to Owen, who becomes terrified and tries to leave, but she lets him go. Abby turns a neighbor into a vampire who dies in the hospital. After Abby kills a detective who finds her, she decides to leave town. However, when Kenny and his brother Jimmy ambush Owen and attempt to drown him, Abby returns to rescue him, dismembering her tormentors. Owen eventually leaves town on a train, concealing Abby in a large trunk.
- First release year
- 2010
- Runtime (minutes)
- 116
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Matt Reeves
- Writers
- Matt Reeves · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Kodi Smit-McPhee · Owen; Chloë Grace Moretz · Abby; Elias Koteas · Abby's adult companion; Richard Jenkins · Abby's adult companion; Colin Moretz · cashier at the convenience store
- Genres
- romantic horror; horror drama; coming-of-age drama
- Themes
- good and evil; childhood innocence; friendship; bullying
- Tone and mood
- haunting; terrifying; artful; unpretentious
- Premise and plot tags
- vampire; coming-of-age; remake; horror
- Source material / true-story basis
- 2004 novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim, being placed on several top ten lists of best films of the year. It was praised for its chemistry and maturity, though some critics found it too derivative of the original Swedish film.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 89% · review count: 235; Rotten Tomatoes · score: 7.6/10 · scale: 10; Metacritic · score: 79/100 · scale: 100 · review count: 35; CinemaScore · score: C+ · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film was intended to be more accessible to a wider audience than the original.; The director sought advice from Steven Spielberg for directing child actors.; The film's producers intended to keep the plot similar to the original.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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