Let the Right One In

A fragile, anxious boy, 12-year-old Oskar is regularly bullied by his stronger classmates but never strikes back. The lonely boy's wish for a friend seems to come true when he meets Eli, also 12, who moves in next door to him.

But Eli's arrival coincides with a series of gruesome deaths and attacks. Though Oskar realizes that she's a vampire, his friendship with her is stronger than his fear and he cannot forsake her.

However Eli knows that to continue living, she must keep relocating. But when Oskar faces his darkest hour, Eli returns to defend him the only way she can...


One of the best novels of any genre I've read in the past several years, it's not just a terrifying and gripping vampire story, but a tender tale of friendship between two lonely children as well.

This 2004 novel is the first by Swedish writer John Ajvide Lindqvist. The book was a bestseller in the author's home country of Sweden and has been translated into Danish, German, Russian and English. Lindqvist also wrote the screenplay for a Swedish language film version by the same name, directed by Tomas Alfredson, which was released in 2008 to widespread critical acclaim. An English language remake, to be directed by Matt Reeves, is scheduled for release in 2010.



THE MOVIE

Let the Right One In was directed by Tomas Alfredson and stars Kåre Hedebrant as Oskar and Lina Leandersson as Eli. The highly acclaimed film was awarded 43 wins and 6 nominations.

"A CHILLING FAIRY TALE. As delicate, haunting, and poetic a film as you're ever bound to see." - Guillermo del Toro (director of Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy)

Here's the trailer: