I was kind of shocked at the level of gore in Let Me In. It's not excessive as far as horror movies go, it just seems shocking to see in a movie about vampires, which I always associate with Bela Lugosi or Max Schrek (I admit I'm not familiar with Dracula films starring Christopher Lee or Klaus Kinski or even the Twilight films for that matter). Those classic films specialized in atmosphere and unseen terror. Let Me In generates the atmosphere, but when it turns gory I think it missteps. It is based on a very recent and revered Swedish film called "Let the Right One In", and both films tell the story of a bullied young boy who forms a bond with a young vampire girl (the words vampire or the like are never stated). The remake recreates the mood and tension of the first film while adding plot elements, which may be unnecessary (the exceptional Richard Jenkins is miscast). The child actors are great in their roles and in the end we are left with a satisfying, moody film whose pros outweigh its cons.
