The original Swedish film is a horror classic and on my all time favorites list. The American knock off "Let Me In" is tepid entertainment with none of the creative boldness of its predesessor; worthy of one viewing but no conversation starter. This series is surprisingly ok, though I find myself wishing they had just created a new frnachise and left "Let The Right One In" out of it. The story is gradually becoming borderline sci-fi and cumbersome in its long list of characters and intrigues. However, while I am disappointed in the changes that were made to the characters and story, I am (almost reluctantly) enjoying this series. It's a good story, I admit. But when I saw the first billboards I was hoping to see a gritty, realistic continuation of Ellie and Oskar's adventures... or misadventures... that would carry the darkness and moral ambiguity of the original. The changes made to Ellie are my biggest problem since "her" character was so complex in the original. It easily deserves a 7 since I find myself anticipating the next episode, but I gave it a 6 as an admittedly meaningless protest. I am being petty perhaps, but while it's fun to watch, it just doesn't capture the horrific magic of the Swedish original.
UPDATE: When I wrote the above review I was at around ep 3 or 4. I am now at ep8 and the show has been slowly circling the drain for a while. The things I didn't like about it have just become worse and it's turning into a bit of a tepid romance that doesn't seem to know what to do with itself. The initial mistake of writing Ellie as an innocent is blunting the edge of what is already a blunted character. I've gone from anticipating the episodes to just getting around to it later. Downgrade to 5.
UPDATE: When I wrote the above review I was at around ep 3 or 4. I am now at ep8 and the show has been slowly circling the drain for a while. The things I didn't like about it have just become worse and it's turning into a bit of a tepid romance that doesn't seem to know what to do with itself. The initial mistake of writing Ellie as an innocent is blunting the edge of what is already a blunted character. I've gone from anticipating the episodes to just getting around to it later. Downgrade to 5.