Låt den rätte komma in (2008)

"Låt den rätte komma in" aka "Let the Right One In" is a hauntingly beautiful vampire film set in Sweden. The two main characters are children and the actors playing them deliver such strong performances that are rarely seen in actors so young in this genre. The movie might feel slow but it unravels and reveals itself perfectly with each passing scene. And again, I love that fact that it takes place in a town that is covered in snow.

Oskar is twelve year old boy who is picked on daily by three other boys. At night, Oskar imagines that he is able to stand up to them and fights back with an actual hunting knife that he hides under his bed. One night, a man and his "daughter" move into the apartment next to Oskar and his mother. A few nights later, Oskar is outside imagining that a tree is Conny, the leader of the bullies, and begins stabbing the tree with his knife when all of a sudden a girl asks him what's going on. Oskar turns around and meets Eli, a twelve year old looking girl standing on the jungle gym. At first she is distant but over time she accepts Oskar's advances of friendship. The two become close and eventually start going steady, even after Eli tells Oskar that she's not "a girl".

Eli is actually a vampire and her "father", Hakan, is her current care taker, trying to collect enough blood for Eli to consume. His first attempt is interrupted by a couple of girls walking their dog. A second attempt is also ruined, but Hakan pours acid over his face so the authorities can not identify him and find Eli. Because of Hakan's plunders, Eli is forced to hunt for blood herself, killing a drunken local. This encounter then sets in motion more victims as Eli is forced to feed and protect herself. Even after Oskar finds out the truth that Eli is a vampire, their friendship and emotions for each other only grow.But when Eli is forced to flee after her apartment is broken into and she kills her assailant, Oskar is left alone to deal with the bullies that he thought he had scared away. But Eli could never truly leave and shows the bullies what it's like to pick on weaker, defenseless creatures.