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Cast: Chloe Grace Moretz, Richard Jenkins, Kodi-Smit McPhee
In bleak New Mexico, a lonely, bullied boy, Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee of The Road), forms a unique bond with his mysterious new neighbor, Abby (Chloë Grace Moretz of Kick-Ass). Trapped in the mind and body of a child, however, Abby is forced to hide a horrific secret of bloodthirsty survival. But in a world of both tenderness and terror, how can you invite in the one friend who may unleash the ultimate nightmare?
As I have mentioned numerous times before I am not a fan of remakes and since "Let Me In" is a remake of the Swedish horror film "Let The Right One In" from a few years ago I was certain this wasn't going to come close to topping it but I can gladly say I was wrong on this one. "Let Me In" stays faithful to the original story except for the opening scene and a few minor things like second or third characters that were either altered or dropped altogether.
The story is about Owen, a young boy who is constantly bullied at school, he lives with his mom but spends most of his time alone, playing with knives and dreaming of taking revenge on the bullies. He also spies on an attractive female who lives across from him. Owen's live is pretty boring until a young girl named Abby moves in next door with her caretaker or dad which is what you assume anyway. The two meet in the playground and at first Abby tells Owen that they cannot be friends but later when she is interested in a Rubick's Cube he has since she never seen one before they begin a friendship. Abby's "dad" is a serial killer of sorts, he sneaks out at night to find unexpected prey so that Abby can feed without killing people herself but when a kidnapping goes wrong her "dad" is caught but before any police can get to him he pours acid on his face, he later dies at the hospital leaving Abby alone. By this time Owen has a crush on Abby and you sense no matter what happens he will stick by her and she in return will protect him no matter the cost.
On the outside "Let Me In" looks like a horror film and it is but it is also much more than that. The film is a romance and family drama as well which is what sets it apart from anything you might of seen before. Director/Writer, Matt Reeves did a terrific job at telling the story and blending the different genres together while keeping true to the original. "Let Me In" can be called many things from being a drama, to a horror and even a fantasy but at it's core it is a story about love and a forbidden friendship that has a lasting effect on it's audience. The cast here did a terrific job, Chloë Grace Moretz stars as Abby and she does a great job playing the multi-dimensional character, Moretz is an amazing young actress and I hope to see her continue this streak of fantastic roles she has been getting. Kodi Smit-McPhee also does a great job playing Owen, he stands toe to toe with Moretz as far as performance goes and the two had great chemistry together. Also I need to give a shout out to veteran actor, Richard Jenkins who plays Abby's "dad" in the film, he is brilliant as always here. If you haven't seen the original then I highly recommend doing so but "Let In Me" does a fantastic job at recreating the story and the atmosphere needed to pull it off. Easily one of the best films of the past year and a film that will fit nicely in anyone's home video collection.
The DVD and Blu-ray come come with Special Features that include:
Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Matt Reeves
From the Inside: A Look at the Making of LET ME IN
The Art of Special Effects, Crash Sequence Step-by-Step
Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary by Writer/Director Matt Reeves
Trailer Gallery, Poster & Still Gallery
You can order the DVD HERE and the Blu-ray HERE.
Released by Anchor Bay Entertainment
***** Out Of *****