Let Me In - 9 stars out of 10

Let Me In - 9 stars out of 10

"Let Me In" seamlessly incorporates a vampire into the real world with one of the most believable portrayals of vampires that I have seen. Step aside, Twilight - this love story is far superior to yours. The story manages to be incredibly romantic despite its two main characters being 12 years old. I credit this to two factors: 1. The chemistry between Chloe Grace Moretz and Kodi Smit-McPhee creates gold on the silver screen. Their emotions are precise and real as Moretz shows compassion and sacrifice at all of the perfect moments. 2. The stunning musical score by Michael Giacchino is never overdramatic but consistently enhances the extreme amount of emotion exuded throughout the film. I expected another "typical" vampire movie but vampires almost become an afterthought as the obstacles in their relationship become the main theme, making it more of a drama than a horror film. "Let Me In" gains its realism by excluding coffins and garlic, and by engaging the viewer through storytelling instead of focusing on blood-sucking special effects. The horrific imagery is tasteful but brutal. Most importantly, the imagery is sparse and makes a huge impact when it occurs. The scene in the tunnel left my jaw on the floor and the hospital fire... that was one of the most amazing scenes that I have seen in any horror film. I was struggling to find a flaw with this film (Richard Jenkins even had a nice role!) until the penultimate scene in the swimming pool - that broke my willful suspension of disbelief. Aside from that misstep, "Let Me In" gets my vote as the best vampire film in cinema, past or present.