reelsolutions
It’s time to look again at Let the Right One In, the Swedish film from 2008 that
perhaps has something to say about 2022. It offers a distinctive take on Bram
Stoker’s Dracula story which itself appeared in 1897 at a time of migrations
from Eastern Europe. Dracula has proved to be a popular story in both theatre
and cinema with many adaptations. 2022 is the centenary of Nosferatu, perhaps
the most celebrated film adaptation. The novel Låt den rätte komma in by John
Ajvide Lindqvist was published in 2004. The story is set in the early 1980s with
heightened tension caused by Russian submarines tracked in Swedish waters. It is
a fantasy story but Lindqvist made use of some of his own experiences as a young
teenager in developing the narrative. The film adaptation in 2008, directed by
Tomas Alfredson, presents an almost social realist Stockholm suburb with a new
resident, a girl of 12 named Eli, moving in next door to Oskar, an introverted
boy of the same age. The 2008 film became an international hit, celebrated by
popular audiences and critics alike and generating a Hollywood remake (not so
successful) and several stage adaptations. Tagged a ‘romantic horror’, the film
raises questions about ethnicity, gender and migration. There will be plenty to
discuss. Let the Right One In is available on BBC iPlayer for the next two
months. Detailed notes and a short video presentation will be available.
