Read Negative User Reviews for Let the Right One In

3

axelkochNov 2, 2013

Gory thrillers are basically all that Scandinavian movies are famous for worldwide and Tomas Alfredson doesn’t want to share away from this with his vampire flick Let the Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in). But the Swedish production thatGory thrillers are basically all that Scandinavian movies are famous for worldwide and Tomas Alfredson doesn’t want to share away from this with his vampire flick Let the Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in). But the Swedish production that has been showed at pretty much any film festival imaginable still isn’t what you’d call mainstream. The main characters are a twelve-year-old bullying victim and a vampiress of the same age just that she’s been twelve for a longer time. Now does that sound odd to you? Well, it is. Damn right it is.
To spice up the somberly snowed landscape of the northernmost part of Europe with some blood is a great idea stylistically and the Dutch cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema knows exactly how can he make the murder scenes rememberable. However, he’s quite a singularity with this in the cast of Let the Right One In. One could pick on the fact that the child actors don’t feel genuine, the director has a way too austere approach to an unbelievable story, or that there isn’t any suspense at all, but eventually, all boils down to the mixture of horror, drama, romance, and coming-of-age story that just doesn’t work. For example, one scene shows a man brutally slaughtering another man, and the next shows the flirtation of two kids. But that alone wouldn’t have ruined the movie for me it’s a handful of plainly ridiculous scenes that made it impossible for me to take Let the Right One In seriously. In one, a woman gets attacked by a dozen cats in a Scary Movie manner, in another one, the same woman ignites herself in a hospital bed, and what we also get to see are the bare nether regions of a twelve-year-old girl a scene that confirms her previous comment, she isn’t a girl. Oh, and the best is yet to come: a close-up shot of a man who’s burned his face with acid! Think of it like The Dar Knight’s Two-Face with worse prosthetics.
If there aren’t any of such idiotic moments, time is bypassed with boring dialogs, which accumulate to a sheerly unendurable sum over the course of almost two hours running time. All of this is disappointing, considering the potential some rare scenes show as in the one, in which protagonist Oskar visits his divorced father and the lovely father-son-ambiance suddenly leaves as a buddy of his father stops by and leads him away from the offspring and to alcohol. This particular scene is short and mostly silent, but still probably the best of the film because it for once manages to emotionally affect the audience.
The overall product though, is really disappointing. You can’t accuse Let the Right One In of using clichés, but that alone doesn’t make a film original in this case, it only makes it to an unfrightening horror film, an unmoving romance, and a drama too ridiculous to take seriously.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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2

GusJan 3, 2011

This movie was just not interesting. It bored me half to death. It barely had any good scares. The little boy was annoying. A lot of the scenes could have been brilliant if they were just quicker and more intense, but they weren't. The scenesThis movie was just not interesting. It bored me half to death. It barely had any good scares. The little boy was annoying. A lot of the scenes could have been brilliant if they were just quicker and more intense, but they weren't. The scenes that should've been intense just plodded along endlessly. This is one of those instances where music could have done wonders for a movie.… Expand

2 of 6 users found this helpful24

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0

SEROJOct 26, 2018

Okay. May be i had high expectations for this blank cr1p after seeing the reviews. Unfortunately though - it ended being another brick in the wall of the dumbest movies ever made!

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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1

annbdOct 25, 2018

What the F***? I get the point, but could not get why people are going so crazy about this movie. Love, difference, bullying - okay, but it was simply boring, nothing special actually. I'm a fan of Twilight and it still didn't work for me.What the F***? I get the point, but could not get why people are going so crazy about this movie. Love, difference, bullying - okay, but it was simply boring, nothing special actually. I'm a fan of Twilight and it still didn't work for me. Love is a matter of support, so 1 point for that.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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0

PayupSep 29, 2010

I watched an English dubbed version of 'Let the Right One In' and was extremely disappointed. The critics had led me to believe that this was the greatest vampire movie of all time, but whether it was due to the terrible dubbing or not, i didI watched an English dubbed version of 'Let the Right One In' and was extremely disappointed. The critics had led me to believe that this was the greatest vampire movie of all time, but whether it was due to the terrible dubbing or not, i did not see any entertainment value whatsoever in this boring mess of a movie which, i can honestly say, was slightly worse than the atrocious twilight movies.… Expand

2 of 9 users found this helpful27

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3

PeteWApr 1, 2009

From the reviews I'd read I expected something fresh and interesting from this one, but in the end it did nothing for me. First, the grim aesthetics made me squirm: everything is unremittingly ugly, faded, and bleak, and the characters From the reviews I'd read I expected something fresh and interesting from this one, but in the end it did nothing for me. First, the grim aesthetics made me squirm: everything is unremittingly ugly, faded, and bleak, and the characters show a typical Scandinavian lack of affect or animation (I do realize this is deliberate, but I've never liked the whole Lars von Trier masochism-as-art idea). Second, while the premise was admittedly original (a vampire story told from the perspective of children, without flinching on the violence and gore) the story is actually quite weak, replete with stock characters (the Inattentive Parents, the Bully, the Mysterious Girl Next Door), clumsily engineered twists (the guy brings a jar of acid to splash on his face so the police won't be able to identify him if he gets caught? What century does he think this is?), and a great deal of disturbing and improbable child-on-child violence, even when the vampire girl isn't around. Lastly, while I get that the movie is trying to make a point about how children can be both touchingly innocent and shockingly bloodthirsty (as when the protagonist fantasizes about stabbing the bullies with a hunting knife), I guess I'm just past the point where I think that kind of thing is cool and edgy. I like a nice cathartic bloodbath in a movie as much as anyone (heck, so did Shakespeare), but watching a roomful of scared kids get turned into chum by a creepy little girl left me no wiser about how violence begets violence or what-have-you; It was just disgusting and gratuitous, doubly so when you realize that she "did it out of love" or some such nonsense. Overall, an unsatisfying and pretentious film. I suspect the only reason it's received such good word-of-mouth is that the only people who bother to watch it are the ones who think doing so makes them seem sophisticated and clever.… Expand

1 of 7 users found this helpful

2

DanJApr 1, 2009

Take away the subtitles and what do you have left? Bland, uninteresting characters, lugubrious pacing, stilted dialogue and a nonsensical plot that manages to go nowhere with a potentially great premise. I'm truly puzzled why this dopey Take away the subtitles and what do you have left? Bland, uninteresting characters, lugubrious pacing, stilted dialogue and a nonsensical plot that manages to go nowhere with a potentially great premise. I'm truly puzzled why this dopey film earned such glowing reviews, but my hunch is that the critics mistook technical skill with "Art." A slick, pretentious exercise in form over substance.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful

0

BenBJan 11, 2010

Horrible movie, no value whatsoever. The only movie I've ever seen that's as bad as this is Clockwork Orange. Both were foreign, they have no continuity or surface meaning. It's just random ridiculous nonsense. I HATED this movie!

0 of 3 users found this helpful

2

BrunoTMar 12, 2009

These votings here seem very fishy to me. (Maybe some people from the production company or from the distributor?). This movie is boring, stupid and absolutely NOT intriguing. Fade and pale characters, a idiotic plot. But above all: boring and dull.

0 of 1 users found this helpful

2

SandyHApr 2, 2009

I watch a lot of movies, and I appreciate and very often agree with the reviewers, who reneder us a great service. It's rare I'll take the time to watch a movie that the critics pan, as a matter of fact, unless I have good reason I watch a lot of movies, and I appreciate and very often agree with the reviewers, who reneder us a great service. It's rare I'll take the time to watch a movie that the critics pan, as a matter of fact, unless I have good reason to--recs from friends, genre that isn't about plot and acting, etc. I was, therefore, completely ready to be stunned by the excellence of this film. Wow. Was I underwhelmed! When I was telling a fellow filmophile about it, this morning, I had to acknowledge its debt to Bergmann, in that it is so minimalistic in its plot, dialogue, scenes, and cinematography. The children are pretty and I won't quibble with their acting. But my impression of the movie is that in its attempt at minimalism, it has achieved, instead, shallowness--a very different thing There is no depth to the characters or to the story. In Bergmann films, very often the characters are iconoclastic, representing ideas, principles, psychological states, classic conflicts, etc. It is apparent that this movie aspires to that import, but instead of archetypes, the characters are little more than caricatures. There is just not enough depth and substance to warrant the praise this movie has received--not in my humble opinion, anyway.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

2

DavidCMar 30, 2009

Alright folks, I just finished watching this movie. I watched it with English audio dubbing. I am convinced that whoever translated this movie from the original to english, just winged it. Terrible voice overs with absolutely no expression Alright folks, I just finished watching this movie. I watched it with English audio dubbing. I am convinced that whoever translated this movie from the original to english, just winged it. Terrible voice overs with absolutely no expression in their voices whatsoever. If the voice overs were an accurate representation of the original language [german etc]. then this has to be the absolute worst movie I have seen in a very long time. No, this movie is not a cinematic masterpiece. It's pure garbage. Yes, I fully understand it is attempting to reflect human nature, both the good/evil sides of all of us. Yet, give me a break. Everyone was completely expressionless. Useless shells of a body walking around blurting out useless garbage. I guarantee I could have acted better than each and every one of these so called actors. The director of this film should retire immediately. I'm so embarrassed to have even watched this movie, that I will never read another hyped up review here again. The marks that people are giving here are astounding. Utterly ridiculous. You should be ashamed of falsely rating movies.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

1

DerekMApr 1, 2009

People, stop giving terrible movies, glowing reviews. This movie is terrible. In fact, that's an understatement. Save your precious time and see a different movie: this one is dull beyond belief. You'd actually have more fun People, stop giving terrible movies, glowing reviews. This movie is terrible. In fact, that's an understatement. Save your precious time and see a different movie: this one is dull beyond belief. You'd actually have more fun watching a tulip grow in your garden. So get outside, set up a lawn chair and stare at your beautiful tulip. I saw this movie 2 days ago. The acting is utterly horrible. I watched it to completion, hoping it would get better. Yet with each passing minute, I realized that was a pipe dream. An odd combination of a lonely 12 yr. old befriending a vampire, both of which are painfully boring to watch. I would have had more excitement tipping cows. Oh, I gave this movie 1 point because there was a pretty white cat in the movie that 'acted' quite well.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

1

DavidFMay 21, 2009

After shuffling restlessly in my seat waiting for some interest, at last the film began to pick up - as the end credits started to run!

0 of 0 users found this helpful

1

PaulWAug 6, 2009

Ponderous and empty, minimalism at its absolute worst. And a big fat lol at the glorifying reviews so many vote bots seem so fit to aim at this exercise in dullness. The acting is bland, very stiff dialog and no progression in either the Ponderous and empty, minimalism at its absolute worst. And a big fat lol at the glorifying reviews so many vote bots seem so fit to aim at this exercise in dullness. The acting is bland, very stiff dialog and no progression in either the development of the characters or the story itself. For a worthwhile outlandish 'horror', I suggest you turn to Korea in stead of Sweden. For drama, anything else will do.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

1

barkingelectronMar 28, 2009

This is the movie that will make me completely reevaluate the way I interpret metacritic and rotten tomato ratings. There is absolutely nothing that separates this movie from a million other boring, cheesy vampire movies except for the poor This is the movie that will make me completely reevaluate the way I interpret metacritic and rotten tomato ratings. There is absolutely nothing that separates this movie from a million other boring, cheesy vampire movies except for the poor voice dubbing. For the life of me, I cannot figure out how so many critics can give such a poor movie such high marks. If I could say anything it would be please, please, please don't see this movie. In fact, go to the video store, steal as many copies as possible, and burn them so no one has to go through what I did.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

1

Q8MarrongGlaceAug 26, 2016

Never trust the rating score and review I'm sure there are some people who got paid for that . Ok this movie is so boring that makes me yawn classic like 80's style yet the makeup is kinda funny in some scene the plot is typical nothing newNever trust the rating score and review I'm sure there are some people who got paid for that . Ok this movie is so boring that makes me yawn classic like 80's style yet the makeup is kinda funny in some scene the plot is typical nothing new to it a vampire kind of creature blah blah blah what a waste !… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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3

HellHoleHorrorAug 27, 2023

It looked nice. It looked quite stark and bright but looked very filmic and good. The sound was occasionally full of depth and excellent but was mostly stark and boring. It matched the picture and the story but that didn't stop me from notIt looked nice. It looked quite stark and bright but looked very filmic and good. The sound was occasionally full of depth and excellent but was mostly stark and boring. It matched the picture and the story but that didn't stop me from not liking it. It was too artistic for me. I found myself bored and not interested in what was going on. It was too slow and not even that dramatic. I am a bit bored of vampire dramas at the moment too! It had some good elements but it wasn't for me - far too serious and slow with nothing happening.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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