John Carpenter Says This Unmissable Horror Thriller Streaming on Peacock “Reinvented the vampire”
John Carpenter is a visionary creator with an enviable filmography under his belt. So, when he shares a movie recommendation, we always take note.
I recently came upon an interview Carpenter sat for with my colleague and pal Patrick “Wolfman” Cavanaugh of ComicBook.Com. Carpenter told CB that he usually sees a film for its technical proficiency and doesn’t scare easily. However, the Big Trouble in Little China director admitted there is at least one picture from the 21st century that really frightened him.
It’s not easy to scare John Carpenter
“No, I see the plumbing,” Carpenter initially replied when Cavanaugh asked if a modern horror film had scared him. “You have to be young, young is good, and know a little less [to get scared]. But when a movie does affect me, that means it’s great because it’s gotten past all my sensors.”
The Halloween director eventually went on to say: “There was a movie a few years ago I thought was just fabulous. It was called Let the Right One In. I believe that was a Swedish film. Oh, man, that was terrific. Just terrific. It just reinvented the vampire myth quite a bit. And I liked it.”
If you’ve yet to take in this poignant tale of (what appears to be) a child vampire, you can find the Swedish-language film streaming on Peacock as of the publication of this post.
Paul “Nomad” Nicholasi reviewed the film for Dread in 2008, calling it: “The cruelest of bedtime stories told through the eyes of a child.” Nicholasi went on to say: “Let the Right One In is a stark reminder that no matter how dark your life seems, there may be a blacker thing just beyond your front steps.”
The picture made its world premiere at the Gothenburg Film Festival in Sweden. The flick ultimately went on to win the Nordic Film Prize at the fest.
The setup for Let the Right One In goes like this:
When Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant), a sensitive, bullied 12-year-old boy living with his mother in suburban Sweden, meets his new neighbor, the mysterious and moody Eli (Lina Leandersson), they strike up a friendship. Initially reserved with each other, Oskar and Eli slowly form a close bond, but it soon becomes apparent that she is no ordinary young girl. Eventually, Eli shares her dark, macabre secret with Oskar, revealing her connection to a string of bloody local murders.
That’s all we’ve got for now. Stay tuned to the site for more recommendations from your favorite cinematic luminaries as we unearth them. Also, make sure you’re following @DreadCentral on Twitter (X) so you never miss one of our updates.
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