What would you do, if you just couldn't change, so set in your ways, with habits quite strange; how would you live, in a divisive world, when the city's awake, while you're hidden and furled; would you hold out your hand, to stave off the brink, would you stake all you've got, just float and not sink; when you look in the mirror and nothing is there, in the darkness of night, only pain and despair; then a saviour appears, with their own set of fears, an innocent soul, undefiled, sincere; someone to trust, a protector by day, who'll carry your secret and promise to stay; unaware of the pact that you've drawn them into, endeavours they'll end up performing for you; until the time comes, to repeat and replay, like a school game of tag, it's all child's play.

So many people reviewing this film on IMDb seem to focus on the sweet friendship between it's 12 year old human and vampire leads. While this is a huge element of the film, this is a sweet story of childhood friendship in the same way 'The Godfather' is the story of a fathers concerns and worries for his kids; both true descriptions, its just that you would be missing the point if you came away from either film thinking that is what you had seen.

In truth, 'Let the right one in' is about as dark a film as you can get, and its a measure of its brilliant story telling that having seen it a week ago, its disturbing echoes have stayed with me and refuse to go away.

It's also one of those films best enjoyed without prior knowledge, but impossible to review properly without disclosing plot elements, so be warned - SPOILERS AHEAD.

As another comment here has said, it's the character Håkan that is the key to this story; for at the end of the film we are led to believe Oskar is stepping into his place. It is that fact, revealed in the final scene that gives the film its dark and nightmarish core; the blossoming friendship we have been witness to prior to this will offer no redemption to Oskar if this is path his relationship with Eli takes.

Håkan butchers boys not much older than Oskar as food for Eli. In this story, where the storytelling is of the highest order so many of its darkest whispers are just that, hinted and suggested at. Questions are alluded to that play on the mind, but are never answered. Why does Håkan pick these victims ? presumably they are Eli's preference. What does that say about Eli's interest in Oskar ? What is Eli's true nature ? She has been twelve "for a very long time", but we briefly glimpse her true physical age, in fact she is in late middle age; roughly the same age as Håkan. Her gift to Oskar in the films last moments; the brutal slaughter of his child tormentors. Entranced in her glamour, this makes Oskar happy, but how can this be happy or good ?

And then they go off happily into the sunset, Oskar presumably to be deadened to the soul destroyed husk of a person Håkan had become, butchering his fellow humans to provide Eli with food. You can see why I am puzzled when people think this film is sweet. In fact its conclusion is utterly chilling; Oskar has happily swapped the commonplace misery of childhood bullying for a fate that will truly be hell on earth and you know as he happily smiles in the films last shot that he doesn't have a clue.

None the less, it's superlative and a film I would heartily recommend. Like the greatest horror tales it succeeds by suggestion and playing on the imagination. It is also a truly great addition to the vampire cannon, a thing that can be said of very few variations on Bram Stokers brilliant original.

I am not particularly a fan of vampire movies and the only reason I watched "Let the Right One In" was because my oldest daughter was visiting and wanted to see it. Well, considering I am a sucker for a foreign film, I decided to watch along with her.

I know she liked it--mostly because the film was unique and incorporated a lot of folklore about vampires--stuff you often don't see in other movies. As for me, I just appreciated that the film was different--not just a retelling of some old Dracula story or some modern sparkly sort of vampire tale. I could say more about the film and why I thought it was a pretty good film, but I think it's more important I point out that this film is NOT for everyone. It is very, very bloody and vicious--and highly disturbing...seriously disturbing. Not all of this is because of the very vivid killings but because of a deeper part of the story involving genital mutilation and well as a twisted relationship between the two main characters! Yes, this is NOT your granddaddy's vampire movie. So, if you want to see it, just be forewarned...and don't rent it for your kids (unless you WANT to be a horrible parent and traumatize your kids).