A remake either does exactly what the first film did, sometimes even shot for shot, or adds a new character or setting that makes a second film more exciting. Often, horror fans want to be able to justify a remake’s existence, wondering what it’s going to bring to the conversation. While fans aren’t sure about the newHalloweenmovies orThe Texas Chainsaw Massacrefilm recently released on Netflix, there are some horror remakes that are just as well-done as the oriignal.
The 2010 horror movieLet Me Inis a remake of the Swedish filmLet The Right One In, which was released in 2008. Although most remakes are fairly difficult to love,Let Me Indoes a lot of things right.
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Fans love watchingcomedy movies about vampiresas it’s always enjoyable to see a story poking fun at this type of creature. InLet Me In, Abby (Chloë Grace Moretz) is a vampire who becomes friends with Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee), a 12-year-old who is having a terrible time. There is so much emotion in this movie as Owen feels incredibly sad, lonely, and like he will never have a friend in the world. It’s the two young actors who make this movie so good. Grace Moretz is impressive as a vampire who may hurt people but who cares about Owen and wants the best for him. It’s a complicated role with a lot of feeling and she couldn’t be better. Smit-McPhee is also well cast as Owen, who doesn’t think that anyone could ever care about him or want to spend time with him.
Let Me Inis definitely a brutal and dark movie about bullying, and it can be hard to watch at times. But that just underlines how important the movie’s message is. While it might be wrong for Abby to show Owen how to battle the bullies and hurt them right back, since violence is never the answer to violence, it’s good that Abby teaches Owen to stand up for himself and find more confidence. The decision to take a typical vampire story where a character has to hide who they really are while living amongst humans and add this element of bullying is one that really works. This film definitely adds something to the group of horror films about creatures, ghosts, and vampires. Abby sometimes drinks people’s blood so she can survive and keep going, and Owen, in a way, feeds of Abby’s energy and lessons to face the bullies.
Let Me Inis anunderrated horror movie about vampiresbecause it uses a vampire character to teach a young boy how to find his place in the world and feel stronger and more secure. Abby makes a huge impression on Owen, who will never forget how she has made him feel, and even though she leaves and no one is sure if they will ever see each other again, Abby has truly changed Owen’s life. That’s quite the feat in a horror movie that is also very scary and full of amazing visuals. While Abby can’t help who or what she is, she feels that she has a strong purpose in helping Owen, and she wants to be there for him.
Matt Reeves, the director ofLet Me In, wasinterviewed byDen Of Geekand shared the experience of being bullied as a child: “And I grew up at that time, and my parents went through a very painful divorce. And I identified with that sense of being incredibly confused and the sense of humiliation and the sense of isolation. There’s tremendous shame with being bullied. I think there’s a level at which you think that there’s a reason that you’re being singled out, that you’re being chosen.”
Whencomparing horror remakes,Let Me Inwill always be a well-crafted film that is about something that matters. It’s also a unique movie because Abby doesn’t turn Owen into a vampire or allow him to really see her world, which can get dangerous and evil. Abby lets Owen be himself and stay human, which is an interesting choice. Near the movie’s end, the bullies try to murder Owen, which is terrifying to watch and a horrifying and heartbreaking reminder of how far bullying can go.
When comparing the remake to the original film, there’s the same story about bullying and the same characters (a young boy and the vampire girl who he falls in love with). While usually a remake that feels a lot like the first movie can seem like a problem as it might not be adding anything, andsome horror remakes are bad,Let Me Inis about the important subject of childhood bullying and loneliness, and it feels right that there was a remake.
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