As a fan of horror and suspense in film, I've seen a pretty wide range of films, and I still sometimes enjoy even the most formulaic entries in the genre. As it is with all things in media, however, I always hope to see something done in a stunningly different style, that leaves you emotionally aware and a bit breathless with how fiercely unique its approach is. Let the Right One In, a film from Tomas Alfredson, is just that.

I'm not interested in writing a review of it here, or trying to sum up what I saw, because sometimes films speak for themselves in a way that even the dialogue can't touch. Let The Right One In is like that, and despite a major controversy over the subtitles for the American release (search the internet for that and listen to the voices of a thousand people bitching), I felt that even those changes couldn't affect this fundamentally beautiful film.

For me one of the most memorable things about this movie is the way it was shot. The camera angles are unflinching and there are lots of close ups of faces, focusing on the expression of eyes, mouths, and brows.  I feel like I could have watched the whole film on mute and still "heard" what the characters were saying. As a horror film it's elegant and uses violence sparingly, but effectively -- the contrast of it against the films long open spaces and periods of silence makes it that much more effective.

If any of these things appeal to you, see it. I can't wait until it fades from my memory a little bit so I can watch it again and refresh it.