Freeview (UK) film of the day : sunday 12th of January

Let Me In (2010 111min.) [BBC2 10.00pm]
Freeview premiere

Fantasy horror starring Kodi Smit-McPhee and Chloë Grace Moretz. Twelve-year old Owen lives in New Mexico with his alcoholic mother and is bullied at school. However, things look up when 12-year-old Abby moves in next door, although Owen only tends to see her in the playground at night. The two become friends but there's more to Abby than meets the eye.

Another in the increasingly long line of Hollywoord remakes of superb films that already exsist but are viewed as troublesome by some because they require the reading of subtitles.

The Swedish original (Let The Right One In) is a near perfect film that tells it's story with great economy and a brilliantly realised sense of place, time and atmosphere.

This version adds nothing to these qualities and instead drops some of the elements that make the original such an involving and spell-binding experience. Instead of a love story (actually, love stories) which happen(s) to involve a vampire we now have a film about a vampire that also includes a love story.
You can see the market the US producers were aiming the film at in the post-Twilight world.

That's not to say it's without merit : Chloë Grace Moretz is superb in the lead role, and her young co-star Kodi Smit-McPhee is also very good. I liked the additional scene of the car crash fimed from inside the car, Elias Koteas and Richard Jenkins add depth and strength to the supporting cast and Michael Giacchino's score is perfect.

As a stand alone film it would be perfectly fine and a rewarding watch ; but it does suffer horribly when compared to the subtle, nuanced and superior Swedish version.