Let The Right One In could technically be classified as a vampire movie if it had to be forced into a neat category. However the film is very determined not to allow that simple label to be slapped on it as it is more preoccupied with presenting a touching coming-of-age story that's both relatable and believable. There just happens to be some vampires in there on occasion.
Let The Right One In tells the story of 12-year-old Oskar, a lonely and troubled young boy who gets bullied at school and only has himself for company most of the time. However when a young girl, Eli, moves in next door he starts to form a relationship with her, he being more enamoured with her than she is with him. However he notices that Eli isn't quite normal, not least because she doesn't come out during the day, she doesn't eat food and can't come into someone else's house without being invited. Before long Oskar notices that Eli needs human blood to survive and must choose whether or not to accept what she is because of his love for her.
The only way Let The Right One In has any chance of becoming any sort of success commercially is for the studio to market it as what it at first appears to be — a vampire movie. Horror movies in general tend to sell well whether they're any good or not. And anyone who may become tricked by the advertising which accentuates the horror aspect and plays down any others (also quite cleverly hiding the fact that it's in Swedish and subtitled) may feel a bit let down when they find out the horror isn't what's put in the spotlight. However that rightly shouldn't matter when we what we get instead is so good — a touching, emotional, heartfelt drama about growing up and falling in love.
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