I watched this a few months back, but since I started writing about the Six Shooter Film Series, I thought I'd finally get around to finishing this post. By now you have probably heard about Tomas Alfredson's 2008 film, based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist. It's the story of a young boy named Oskar, a loner who wants nothing more than to get back at the school bullies tormenting him. One night, he meets Eli, the new girl who moved into his apartment building. She informs him that they cannot be friends--that she's not even "really" a girl--but they go on to develop a bond anyway.
It's a strong story bolstered by the captivating performances of the two leads, Kåre Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson, and its quiet, atmospheric vibe that's very much the product of its hauntingly bleak setting. It's an art-horror film, but it's also very definitely a true vampire film, not afraid to embrace and elevate the genre. More on this in an upcoming post.
It was so successful, in fact, that it is scheduled to be honored with an all-American remake by Cloverfield director Matt Reaves. But it will star the boy from The Road and the girl from Kick-Ass, so maybe it won't be terrible. Though there's no helping its pointlessness.
