17 Years Later, A Controversial Horror “Masterpiece” Is About to Leave Free Streaming

One of the darkest and most controversial horror thrillers ever made is about to leave free streaming. Horror movies, by the very nature of the genre, are dark. Horror movies often reveal the worst side of humanity or expose our darkest fears and desires through paranormal means. So, to be considered “dark” and even “controversial” within that genre, you must have done something to really push the boat out. When you think of controversial horror movies, you probably think of the gratuitous content of The Human Centipede or even the Satanic Panic caused by The Exorcist and The Omen. But the movie in question isn’t dark for its horror. It’s dark for the story that surrounds and pushes the horror. The Swedish (because, of course, a dark horror movie is Scandinavian) horror movie is none other than Let the Right One In, and it’s about to leave free streaming.

Let the Right One In is currently available on the free streaming platform, Tubi. However, the right one is about to be let out, because Let the Right One In is listed on the platform’s “Leaving Soon” page. Unfortunately, Tubi doesn’t give exact dates as to when movies will be removed from the platform, opting instead for the vague term “Leaving Soon.” However, we suspect the film will be removed by the end of January. Providing you can stomach its incredibly dark themes, watch Let the Right One In for free on Tubi before it’s too late.

Based on the Swedish novel of the same name, Let the Right One In is one of the most controversial vampire movies ever made (yes, even more controversial than Twilight). Directed by Tomas Alfredson, the film follows Oskar, a 12-year-old boy who is bullied in his new neighborhood in Stockholm. After he befriends a young girl, Eli, his bullying problem takes a dark turn. The official synopsis reads:

“When Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant), a sensitive, bullied 12-year-old boy living with his mother in suburban Sweden, meets his new neighbor, the mysterious and moody Eli (Lina Leandersson), they strike up a friendship. Initially reserved with each other, Oskar and Eli slowly form a close bond, but it soon becomes apparent that she is no ordinary young girl. Eventually, Eli shares her dark, macabre secret with Oskar, revealing her connection to a string of bloody local murders.”

‘Let the Right One In’ Received a Less Controversial US Remake

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EFTI

So why is a story about two teenagers, one of whom is a vampire (we swear this isn’t like Twilight), so controversial? Well, aside from the bloody violence enacted by Eli, the film’s themes and the events that befall the two adolescent characters are what make the story so controversial. As anyone who has tried to read the book (this writer included) will tell you, Let the Right One In is incredibly heavy. The story features frequent child abuse, sexual abuse, intimate accounts of depression and grief, and everything in between. Just like the book, the movie doesn’t hold back in its depiction of the subject matter. But the dark subject matter didn’t detract from audiences viewing experiences. Let the Right One In holds a near-flawless Rotten Tomatoes rating of 98%, with a strong user score of 90%. Many of the RT users even hailed the movie as a “masterpiece.”

But much of it was notably absent from the US version. Let Me In, released in 2010, starred Chloë Grace Moretz as Abby (Eli in the original) and Jodi Smit-McPhee as Owen (Oskar). The film was well received, holding an 89% RT rating. But, it removed much of Abby/Eli’s story to hone in on the bullying that Owen/Oskar faced. Coincidentally, Let Me In is also streaming on Tubi.