Now, don't feel distracted by the fact it has vampires in it, if that is not what you are generally into.
This might be interesting anyway because in the first place the story is about two outsiders finding each other and gaining new confidence from their odd but honest relationship.
The film is set in a cold snowy suburban area. Oscar, a shy, insecure, twelve year old boy, lives in an apartment with his mother. He is a weird little guy and has seemingly no friends. So he used to play alone at night in the yard in front of the house until new neighbors move in next door. On the other day he meets Eli out there. He is curiously attracted to that strange girl right away. Maybe so because he realizes that she is different. This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Soon Oscar is told by Eli that she is a vampire. He is of course a little confused at first but accepts this as a simple fact. He probably doesn't know what Eli does to still her thirst yet.
Meanwhile the local people are afraid when some of them disappear.
It's not taking long until they know who is responsible for the strange happenings and where to find him ... or her.
Oscar has his own enemies, his classmates who constantly beat and bully him.
As he is too weak to defend himself Eli offers him her help.
Soon he realizes that she needs his help too. And when he discovers that killing people is a necessary evil for them to be and stay together, his feelings are severely tested and he has to decide whether this friendship is worth it or not.
Don't be turned of by the fact that there is some kind of romance going on here. This is no cheesy teenage-soap-opera like the "Twilight-" movies. It's really endearing and challenges both of the young kids. It's also not the classic vampire story ala "Nosferatu" with a dark lord living alone in an old mysterious place.
It feels authentic and down to earth without most of the usual mysterious and sinister elements.
Eli is just a "young" vampire struggling with the problems of accommodation that a vampire just can not avoid when you happen to live in a world occupied by human beings and human blood is your essence of life.
She is not an evil creature, she doesn't enjoy killing people but simply has to do so to survive herself.
Apart from physical differences and her preferences for dinner she has quite a few things in common with human beings so for example the desire for friendship, love or simply acceptance.
In Oscar she finds someone to trust. Someone with "similar" problems who will therefore understand her and accept her as she is. And both benefit from their little liaison and help each other out.
The relationship between the two misfits is in the center of the film and fortunately works very well.
It's genuine and believable. Both of the young actors, especially Lina Leandersson as Eli are convincing.
But there are also things that did not quite work for me.
The mean classmates of Oscar and their little conflict is phony and over the top.
The acting of these kids feels unnatural and exaggerated. What they are doing to Oscar and how they are doing it is way too cruel for some 12 year olds although otherwise there would probably not be enough tension and climax there.
Then I asked myself after the murders and strange stuff happening in that little town with the appearance of Eli, wouldn't the media be hugely interested and make a spectacle out of that?
And why is there no police or something?
Another question is how Oscar could explain the situation at the end and of course how he could ever recover from that and not be scared to death for the rest of his life?
Still the unusual approach to a vampire based story is quite exciting and the romantic part between the two socially unaccepted protagonists is strong and in the main focus. Therefore this certainly worth a shot.
Due to the film's worldwide critical acclaim there already is - and who did not see that coming? - a US-remake called "Let me in".
Now, I haven't seen that one yet and even though I heard a lot of positive things about it, you naturally should go for the original first.
It's not without its flaws but should be equally interesting for humans and vampires.
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