Introspective horror concerning a young boy inspired by the girl next door who befriends him. Eerily moody drama isn’t about shocking the viewer, but rather portraying two people who truly need each other. Character development is a rarity for films of this genre, so that alone makes this superior to most. American director Matt Reeves’ interpretation of the 2008 Swedish original is strikingly similar scene for scene. However this improves upon that previous adaptation of the John Ajvide Lindqvist fiction novel in a few ways: Michael Giacchino’s highly accomplished score, the tension is exceptionally polished and the performances are even more engaging. Actually the entire cast is impressive, but Australian actor Kodi Smit-McPhee as the bullied boy, is extraordinary. He’s curiously reminiscent of actor Lukas Haas. If there is a difference, it’s that this version has heightened doses of blood. Be that as it may, the gore is still restrained, especially for a picture of this type. A welcome remake.
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I’m not really a fan of this American tendency (no offense) to not read subtitles and instead remake European films. However, it’s great that this remake is actually better and improved an already good concept.
I thought this was better than the original. I felt the characters more. Also, a little more frightening. Acting was great!