Let the Right One In (Directed by Tomas Alfredson) on dvd.

The review on the front of the dvd case states "Best. Vampire movie. Ever". They were not far off. Let the Right One In a movie based on the novel by John Lindqvist, who also handled screenwriting duty on the film, in a nutshell is a movie about a young boy in Sweden who is an outcast in every sense of the word. He's the prototypical wimp. Scrawny, long haired, soft spoken, well read, and all together a little on the introverted weirdo side of the coin. The boys name is Oskar, played exceptionally well by Kare Hedebrant, a product of a single parent household, and the constant brunt of bullies ire. He gets kicked around, humiliated on a daily basis, and is desperately trying to fit in somewhere it's likely he never will. Enter Eli. A young "girl", seemingly new in Oskar's neck of the woods, and even more mysterious than he. The bond between the two is strong even after the first meeting, but they are both so awkward with human contact it's almost heartbreaking to see them fumble around each other. Oskar soon finds something odd about the way Eli (played by an amazing young actress name Lina Leandersson) lives with a much older man. It's not hard to realize that Eli is a vampire, even before her first true feeding, but the story is much more than vampire sucks blood, can't go out in daylight, and has huge fangs that sprout like magic from her gums. It's a story about a friendship formed between the most unlikely pair. It's about the harsh reality of childhood. The every day struggle some children go through simply because they are different. Trust me, I have never had the urge to strangle a small child, but 30 minutes into this movie I wanted to reach into my television and murder the lead bully! The film was shot so beautifully, at times I forgot I was supposed to be watching a horror movie. The way the cinematographer captured the desolation and poverty, along with the bitter cold of Sweden was like adding another character to the film. Luckily, John Lindqvist stayed pretty faithful to his novel when adapting the story to film. Although there was much more back story to who Eli really is in the book, and there were a few more details left out of the movie, but it still worked to perfection. Of course, I wouldn't be me unless I said go out and buy the book and read it before you rent this movie. The book is better...as it is the majority of the time. Having said that, this movie is a MUST see! I will give you fair warning about the only issue I had with this movie. The English langauge dub is subpar. I'm not sure if it was the translation or maybe it was just done half-assed, but there are a few lines in the film that will make most English speaking people either laugh out loud(even though it's supposed to be serious) or scratch their head and wonder what the hell that meant. But, I am urging you to run to your video store and rent a copy of Let the Right One In, especially before the new "Americanized" version comes out next year. It is the 3rd greatest vampire movie ever made...you can ask what my 2 favorites are if you care to know. For now, spend your four dollars and rent a quality movie like this one, instead of some other garbage like Twilight. Enjoy.