Let the Right One In: A Much DARKER ROMANCE Than Twilight

*amaran:sila jangan teruskan pembacaan anda jika anda tidak mahu di"spoil"kan ketika menonton filem ini.

Vampire amour knows no bounds -- languages, locations, media -- and no universal paradigm.

Edward Cullen of Twilight is a model vampire. One whose face you could proudly put on a poster or pick as a vice presidential running mate. A golden boy who disproves the bad press that the children of the night have endured over the centuries. Daylight's not a problem. A photo of him kissing your baby? Sure. Human bloodshed? Not necessary -- vampires can be "vegetarian." It's no surprise then that his love (and his vamp-mortal romance with Bella) is equally ideal. A thing of radiant passion and noble restraint. A romance that illuminates and defines the Twilight saga.

Eli and Oskar, however, live in a different world. Framed in a wintry Stockholm suburb in the '80s, 12-year-old Oskar's human existence is fraught with fear and hostility. Frequently bullied at school, he has few friends and spends his free time indulging in violent revenge fantasies. Until young vampire Eli and her "father" move into their apartment block. The fragile, pale Eli befriends Oskar, encouraging him to fight his tormentors. If the perspective so far doesn't seem dark and disturbing, take a closer look at the view from the Let the Right One In film trailer. Glimpse Eli's caretaker harvesting blood for her -- from suspended victims. Or gory shots of the thirsty tween Nosferatu draining ambushed strangers. Eli, Oskar and their troubled love story looks to be told in tense, haunting tones of despair and dread. No sparkly meadow scenes (Eli shuns the sunlight) or prom night comedy. And no politically correct dietary alternatives to dining on humans.

Adapted for the screen (from his own award-winning novel) by John Lindqvist, Let the Right One In is not only a truly excellent horror movie, but it's also a bizarrely touching and personal little movie. It's clear that Lindqvist and director Tomas Alfredson are using vampirism as an accessible metaphor for the myriad problems that face today's teens -- but the movie also feels a lot like a smart horror flick combined with a slice of one of John Hughes' better movies. Whether the film is focusing on the carnage, the puppy-love romance, or a few side-stories with the local townsfolk, Alfredson presents the movie with an appreciable sense of humor, confidence, and sincerity. And while I was initially a bit skeptical about the flick's 114-minute running time, once it had ended I found myself wishing it had been just a little bit longer. Surely that's the sign of a successful movie.

SRi: Please don't forget to try find this movie with English subtitle version because it is originally in Swedish language. =)