Four out of Five stars
Running time: 114 mins

Beautifully shot, superbly acted and impressively directed, this is a thoroughly engaging horror story that brings a genuinely original twist to the vampire movie.

What's it all about?
Adapted from a novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist, Tomas Alfredson's award-winning Swedish horror story stars Kare Hedebrant as Oskar, a weedy-looking 12-year-old loner who's badly bullied at school. However, things start to look up when raven-haired Eli (Lina Leandersson) moves in next door and the two become friends after Oskar teaches her how to do the Rubik's Cube.

However, when Eli's reclusive father (Per Ragnar) is arrested for trying to drain a stranger's blood, Oskar realises that his new best friend might be a vampire. Will he help Eli find the blood she needs to survive?

The Good
It's safe to say that Let the Right One In is like no vampire movie you've ever seen before. Part Gothic horror and part coming-of-age tale, this is thoroughly engaging from beginning to end and manages to be both creepy and sweet at the same time.

Kare Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson are both excellent as the two young leads, while there's strong support from Per Ragnar and from Karin Bergquist as Oskar's mother. The film is also beautifully shot, with stunning cinematography courtesy of Hoyte van Hoytema.

The Great
Aldqvist's script (adapted from his own novel) is brilliant, perfectly blending the elements of the traditional coming-of-age story with various elements of vampire lore and bringing new elements to both in the process, such as in the scene where Oskar dares Eli to enter his house uninvited.

Tomas Alfredson creates an entrancing atmosphere throughout, by the use of chilly exteriors combined with static shots and long takes. He also has a terrific eye for striking imagery – there are at least three genuinely stunning scenes that will stay with you long after you leave the cinema.

Worth seeing?
By turns sweet, shocking and ultimately moving, Let the Right One In is a genuinely stunning, bracingly original film that demands to be seen. Highly recommended.