Subscribe to watch - 14-day free trial, then £6.99 a month
Let the Right One In
A twelve-year-old boy befriends a mysterious girl with a dark secret, in Tomas Alfredson’s grownup tale of childhood vampirism.
Director: Tomas Alfredson
Overview
In the depths of a suburban Swedish winter, twelve-year-old Oskar befriends his new neighbour, the mysterious girl Eli, whose arrival in town seemingly coincides with a series of grisly local murders. Undeterred by her dark secrets, Oskar gains confidence from his new friendship and finds Eli to be a useful ally against the bullies that plague his school life.
Adapted from John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel (which takes its title from a Morrissey lyric), Let the Right One In may be an adolescent tale of the supernatural but in spirit it’s far removed from the glut of Twilight-inspired teen fiction, approaching its story with adult attention and authenticity. Eschewing genre conventions, Alfredson instead focuses on crafting an affecting relationship drama that still delivers its share of stylish set-pieces and icy atmospherics. Coinciding with the rise of ‘Nordic noir’, the film became a substantial crossover hit, reaching a wide audience despite its subtitles and appealing to non-horror fans and genre stalwarts alike. The film’s success later inspired a not entirely discreditable Hollywood remake from Cloverfield director Matt Reeves, Let Me In.
Contains strong bloody violence and language
Related
The Descent The Descent
Horror 2005 99 mins Director: Neil Marshall
Six friends on a caving expedition get trapped deep underground and discover they are not alone in this visceral, claustrophobic horror.
Laurin Laurin
Horror 1989 83 mins Director: Robert Sigl
Richly atmospheric, gloriously morbid and menacing Gothic chiller about a child killer in 19th century Germany.
The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue
Horror 1974 93 mins Director: Jorge Grau
A chemical leak causes a zombie outbreak amid the picturesque landscapes of the Lake District, in this superbly chilling undead classic.
Swallowed Swallowed
Horror 2022 95 mins Director: Carter Smith
It’s drugs, bugs and unrequited hugs in this deliciously grotesque queer body horror from Carter Smith.
It Follows It Follows
Horror 2014 100 mins Director: David Robert Mitchell
David Robert Mitchell’s remarkable, terrifying shocker is a fresh and stimulating meditation on sexual paranoia, steeped in horror cinema history.
A Lizard in a Woman's Skin A Lizard in a Woman's Skin
Horror 1971 103 mins Director: Lucio Fulci
A woman accused of murder begins to lose grip on reality, in this psychedelic, Swinging London thriller from cult director Lucio Fulci (The Beyond).
Portrait of a Lady on Fire Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Romance 2019 121 mins Director: Céline Sciamma
Céline Sciamma’s BAFTA-nominated film about the tentative love between a painter and her subject in 18th-century France.
Who We Love Who We Love
Drama 2021 94 mins Director: Graham Cantwell
Bullied for her sexuality, Dublin schoolgirl Lily turns to her gay best friend for support in this vibrant coming-out, coming-of-age drama.
Je tu il elle Je tu il elle
Drama 1974 86 mins Director: Chantal Akerman
Akerman’s debut feature, with its 10-minute lesbian sex scene, revealed its maker to be a radical and uncompromising force in cinema.
The Balconettes The Balconettes
Comedy 2024 104 mins Director: Noémie Merlant
Co-written with Céline Sciamma, Noémie Merlant’s bold film follows three friends as they dispose of the body of an abuser they’ve accidentally killed.
Sebastian Sebastian
Drama 2024 110 mins Director: Mikko Mäkelä
A young London-based writer begins a double life as a sex worker to research his debut novel, in this gripping psychological drama.
Four Mothers Four Mothers
Comedy 2023 89 mins Director: Darren Thornton
Hilarious, uplifting tale of an Irish son juggling four very different mothers over one chaotic weekend in Dublin.
Pharaoh Pharaoh
Historical drama 1965 146 mins Director: Jerzy Kawalerowicz
Dazzling epic, in which the young Pharaoh Ramses XIII clashes with Egypt's clergy over influence on the affairs of the state and its coffers.
Desire: The Carl Craig Story Desire: The Carl Craig Story
Documentary 2024 91 mins Director: Jean-Cosme Delaloye
An intimate portrait of legendary techno producer, DJ and record label creator Carl Craig and an ode to his beloved city, Detroit.
Je t'aime, je t'aime Je t'aime, je t'aime
Drama 1968 95 mins Director: Alain Resnais
A mysterious time-travel experiment becomes a warped voyage through memory, in this mesmerising sci-fi from acclaimed director Alain Resnais.
La Reine Margot La Reine Margot
Historical drama 1994 158 mins Director: Patrice Chéreau
Sumptuous historical drama starring Isabelle Adjani and Daniel Auteuil; a thunderous yarn full of dastardly plots, familial hatred and perverse desire
Scrubbers Scrubbers
Drama 1982 93 mins Director: Mai Zetterling
1980s borstal drama – billed as the female Scum – featuring Amanda York and Kathy Burke as inmates in a ruthless women’s prison.
Mona Lisa Mona Lisa
Gangster 1986 100 mins Director: Neil Jordan
An ungainly cockney chauffeur navigates the seedy streets of London, gradually falling for the elegant and mysterious prostitute who is his passenger.