Parents' Guide to

Let Me In

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Vampire remake is much gorier than Twilight.

Movie R 2010 115 minutes
Let Me In Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 11 parent reviews

robbie1
robbie1 Adult
February 7, 2020
age 15+

Masterpiece.

This title has:

Great messages
gia123
gia123 Adult
April 7, 2019
age 12+

A lot of gore but overall interesting story.

Let me in is a very unique horror movie. It follows Owen a bullied school outcast and his new vampire friend. Let me in has a lot of gore. Overall an okay movie

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 11 parent reviews

What's the Story?

The slightly odd Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) lives a lonely existence in wintry New Mexico, circa 1983. His parents are divorced, he has no friends, and he's the target of merciless bullies. One night he meets his new neighbor, Abby (Chloe Grace Moretz), who seems even odder than Owen: She doesn't go to school, she can't eat candy, and she can solve a Rubik's Cube. Abby warns Owen that they can't be friends, but they make a connection anyway -- and by the time that Owen learns that she's a vampire, it's too late -- she's his only friend, and she has begun to help him come out of his shell. How long can a friendship like this last? Will Owen survive his bullies long enough to find out?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (11):
Kids say (33):

Director Matt Reeves has kept very close to the much-loved, critically acclaimed Swedish original Let the Right One In, including its hushed, wintry atmosphere and deliberate pacing. The new film adds in more intense, gory sequences (and some particularly awful CG effects), as well as some more "explanatory" sequences that provide more information on the characters; there's less mystery here.

The more obvious gore has the effect of neutralizing the movie's climactic sequence. In the original, it's a shocker, but here it's yet another gory scene in a long line of them. As a remake, it resides in the shadow of the original, and there's no real comparison. But the expert performances by youngsters Kodi Smit-McPhee and Chloe Grace Moretz go a long way in rescuing the new movie. These tender, emotionally mature characters provide the centerpiece for a very intense, effective coming-of-age story.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the film's violence and blood and gore. How did it affect you?

  • Is fighting back a good way to deal with bullies? Did Owen's actions help his situation? What are some other ways of dealing with bullies?

  • Owen clearly needed someone to reach out to, but is Abby the right choice? Who else could he have reached out to?

Movie Details

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