There were a few reasons Let the Wrong One In was high on my must-watch list while attending Fantastic Fest 2021: director Conor McMahon, who brought us the hilariously dark clown film Stitches in 2012; actor Anthony Head (Giles on TV’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer) fighting vamps once again; and I can’t resist a horror-comedy. After going in with high hopes, I was thrilled when the film hit all the right notes.
Let the Wrong One In is an Irish film that follows a young man named Matt (Karl Rice) whose loser older brother Deco (Eoin Duffy) comes home one day as a vampire. As the day continues, Matt meets taxi driver Henry (Anthony Head), who moonlights as a vampire hunter after his dear fiance is turned.
That same fiance happened to turn Deco. Henry tries to get Matt to see the light and kill his brother while also being a bit nutty himself, and soon Matt finds himself in an all-out war against a female gang of vampires.
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Being familiar with Conor McMahon’s previous work, I expected plenty of over-the-top practical FX, blood spray, and insanity. I was not disappointed. Poor Karl Rice could barely go a scene without being drenched in blood. The gags were very well done while being almost cartoonish in their absurdity. The FX was an absolute high point, especially when combined with dark, zany humor at every turn.
Rice is a scene-stealer, downright compelling to watch as the kindhearted boy next door. When he is paired with the always brilliant Anthony Head, the duo play off each other quite well, making for some truly hilarious vamp-killing training scenes fans of Buffy are sure to appreciate. Like the gang of female vampires, Eoin Duffy gives a fantastic performance.
At face value, it is easy to write the film off as “silly.” However, the script is well-written, charming, and never fails to entertain. Between the humor and gore, there is also a bit of heart as we see a broken family trying to hold on to each other. While there are a few touching scenes depicting their dynamics, it never strays far from what it is—a campy, bloody vampire flick.
Let the Wrong One In premiered at Fantastic Fest 2021 and is slated for release in early 2022.
