I clutched the armrest in the dark, near-empty theater as frightening images bum-rushed my mind.
My friend Jaylen nudged me, telling me to quit being so afraid, but all I could think about was the horrific scene I was about to be subjected to. I hate scary movies, so why am I at AMC Tallahassee watching the opening credits to “Let Me In”?
I’ll tell you why. “Let Me In” has gotten a lot of buzz and rave reviews, so I got curious and so did the lifestyles editor. “Matty, could you write a review for Let Me In?” she said in a cheerful voice. How could I refuse? This review won’t be any different from the many positive reviews floating around the net. “Let Me In” is a good movie because it isn’t what some may have expected.
I anticipated graphic violence, horrible aftermaths of disfigured humans and creepy shadows of ominous creatures ready to pounce on an unsuspecting victim and catch the viewers off guard. I got two of the four mentioned descriptions right.
Those who didn’t know that “Let Me In” was first a novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist titled “Let the Right One In,” might be surprised at how not-so-scary this movie really is.
It’s creepy, no doubt, but it’s a vampire movie, and the “Twilight” saga might have knocked the fear of vampires out of most moviegoers. Chloe Moretz, Hit Girl from the movie “Kick Ass,” kicks ass again, playing the role of Abby. Kodi Smitt-McPhee stars as Owen, a boy who craves candy more than Abby craves blood.
While there are few vicious scenes, “Let Me In” is heavy with emotion and could almost garnish a romance tag rather than placed as a horror flick. I might be going on a stretch saying this, but “Let Me In,” while it involves adolescents, could be the adult version of “Twilight.” This being a vampire movie, most elements have been done before, but the unusual factor to “Let Me In” is the disturbing relationship Owen and Abby have.
Owen understands Abby needs blood and kills people to do so. He also understands that Abby isn’t 12 years old but much older, yet that doesn’t stop them from kissing or holding each other while she is soaked in blood. How romantic.