Movie Reviews

[Fantastic Fest ’21] ‘Let the Wrong One In’ review: Vampire comedy charms

Irish horror comedy will slay you.

October 3, 2021

Welcome to another installment of 31 Days of Halloween! This is our chance to set the mood for the spookiest and scariest month of the year as we focus our attention on horror and Halloween fun. For the month of October we’ll be sharing various pieces of underappreciated scary books, comics, movies, and television to help keep you terrified and entertained all the way up to Halloween.

Conor McMahon’s Let the Wrong One In is a fun riff on the title of Tomas Alfredson’s 2008 vampire love story Let the Right One In, but that is where the similarity ends. It’s not a parody, but it’s own unique charming vampire story about deadbeat relatives and bachelorette parties run amok. Filled with heart and clever fast paced dialogue, Let the Wrong One In is a blood splattered comedy about second chances.

Matt (Karl Rice) is a young man who lives with his mother. His brother Deco (Eoin Duffy) is not welcome in their home after years of drug usage and bad behavior. Matt’s regular life is disrupted when Deco returns as a sizzling vampire looking for refuge from the sunlight. Matt’s first impulse is to naturally console his brother and seek medical help for his condition. However, a taxi driver turned vampire hunter named Harry (Anthony Head of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame) is pulled into their mix. The three must contend with each other, their past, and a bloodthirsty bachelorette party.

The film has a great blend of traditional vampire lore and style mixed with modern touches. A bachelorette party in Transylvania is followed through ruins as they carry an inflatable penis. A track suit wearing vampire lurks in dark corners. The fears and superstitions about vampires are present while there are questions of whether or not being a vampire would make one eligible for disability.

There is a lot of sincerity.

Let the Wrong One In is a hilarious film, but along with the humor, there is a lot of sincerity in the storylines. Rice and Duffy give great performances with excellent comedic timing, while giving emotional levity where the story needs it. McMahon’s film is a light hearted comedy horror that features an overarching story about sibling bonds, addictions, and self-destructive behaviors.