Let the Right One In

TV review by Jenny Nixon, Common Sense Media
Posted art for the Showtime series Let the Right One In, depicting a brown-haired man with stubble embracing what appears to be a child, they are seen from the shoulders up. He has dirty, bloodstained hands and is looking into the distance plaintively.

Common Sense says

age 15+

Blood-splattered drama manages to make vampires dull.

Showtime Drama 2022
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  • A man in a black winter jacket and beanie stands next to a long-haired brunette girl in a plaid coat. They appear to be in some kind of tunnel or overpass, and it is dark..
  • A young black boy in a green and blue coat looks down, perhaps at a phone, while a young vampire girl with long brown hair looks over his shoulder with her fangs bared.
  • A young black boy and a black woman walk down a flight of concrete steps in full sunlight, both of them wearing winter coats.
  • An older, balding man wearing a nasal cannula and glasses stands at a table across from a tall woman with long, dark blonde hair and a grey turtleneck. There is a skull of some kind on the table between them, and the space they are in looks to be clinical in nature.

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Let the Right One In is a horror series inspired by the acclaimed Swedish novel and film of the same name, which came out in 2004 and 2008, respectively. The story concerns a child vampire and her adult companion -- in this version, he's her dad -- and she is shown physically harming humans and drinking blood. Violence is depicted regularly (from fistfights to murder), and a group of bullies encourage a classmate to kill himself. There are some graphic scenes of animals being hurt (they are CGI), bodies are dismembered and shoved into barrels. Language is definitely salty; adults regularly drop f-bombs and a kid in school repeatedly uses the word "s--t". There's some wine and booze-drinking by adults, and references to opioids (they are portrayed in a negative light).

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What's the Story?

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN tells the story of Eli -- née Eleanor -- a 12-year-old vampire who has remained (or at least appeared) a 12-year-old for the last decade, ever since she was attacked by an unknown creature. Her father Mark (Demián Bichir) is her companion and provider of blood; he murders and drains people of their blood so his daughter won't have to. Both are clearly sick of running from town trying to keep their secrets safe, while also trying to uncover who, or what, did this to Eli in the first place. As they move into their latest apartment in New York City, they cross paths with a neighbor boy and his mom (Anika Noni Rose) who, unfortunately for the road-weary pair, turns out to be a sharp-eyed homicide detective investigating a recent string of murders. Meanwhile, a thirtysomething epidemiologist (Grace Gummer) reluctantly moves back in with her ailing father (Zeljko Ivanek), a disgraced former opiod manufacturer, to help him with research on a virus afflicting a family member -- the symptoms of which line up with vampirism.

Is It Any Good?

The original Swedish film that inspired this series has remained a uniquely memorable experience and one that this new iteration, like the American film reboot before it, fails to top. This Let the Right One In takes specific elements from its predecessor and uses them as a jumping-off point, which is a perfectly acceptable thing to do if the changes made and the narrative built around this framework add something new or interesting. Unfortunately, the show's efforts to distinguish itself only result in it collapsing under the weight of its own ambitions.

There are just too many storylines going on here at one time, too much awkward exposition shoehorned in via drawn-out speeches, and an overall lack of focus. It's not a great sign when a horror series can also double as a cookie-cutter network crime procedural, a banal medical drama, or a family-centered tearjerker. Regarding the emphasis on family, the choice to make Eli's caretaker her actual father is a misguided one that comes across as corny, retaining none of the magic and mystery of the source material. The writers seem to have taken a throw-it-all-at-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks approach, which gives the show a lethargic, messy vibe that really isn't worth sticking around for.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the bullying Ian experiences at his school. How do you feel about the way his mother advises him to handle it? How does this contrast with the way Eli deals with it? What are some other ways the situation could have been managed?

  • What do you think inspires Hollywood to make so many remakes? What are some films or TV shows you've enjoyed that were inspired by earlier works?

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