Let The Right One In Blu-ray

Let The Right One In

 (2008)

Drama | Horror | Romance | Thriller



A fragile, anxious boy, 12-year-old Oskar is regularly bullied by his stronger classmates but never strikes back. The lonely boy's wish for a friend seems to come true when he meets Eli, also 12, who moves in next door to him with her father. A pale, serious young girl, she only comes out at night and doesn't seem affected by the freezing temperatures. Coinciding with Eli's arrival is a series of inexplicable disappearances and murders. One man is found tied to a tree, another frozen in the lake, a woman bitten in the neck. Blood seems to be the common denominator--and for an introverted boy like Oskar, who is fascinated by gruesome stories, it doesn't take long before he figures out that Eli is a vampire. But by now a subtle romance has blossomed between Oskar and Eli, and she gives him the strength to fight back against his aggressors. Oskar becomes increasingly aware of the tragic, inhuman dimension of Eli's plight, but cannot bring himself to forsake her. Frozen forever in a twelve-year-old's body, with all the burgeoning feelings and confused emotions of a young adolescent, Eli knows that she can only continue to live if she keeps on moving. But when Oskar faces his darkest hour, Eli returns to defend him the only way she can.

For more details about Let The Right One In on Blu-ray, see the Let The Right One In Blu-ray Review

Let The Right One In Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Tomas Alfredson’s Let The Right One In arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Momentum Pictures.

This British release of Let the Right One In looks quite similar to the one Magnolia Pictures gave us in the United States. Contrast, clarity and detail are all very convincing. The film’s delicate color-scheme is also intact – blues, whites and blacks are well saturated but exceptionally cold. Unlike the U.S. release, however, which is encoded with VC-1, this British release is encoded with MPEG-4 AVC. I personally do not see any major discrepancies between the two – edge-enhancement is again not an issue of concern nor is excessive DNR application. I did not detect any disturbing scratches, debris, stains, or flecks either. All in all, this is one very impressive looking disc. (Note: Even though the back cover of this Blu-ray disc states Region-B, this is actually a Region-Free release. There is no PAL content preceding its main menu either. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Let The Right One In Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


UPDATE: We have have been informed that Momentum Pictures have corrected the audio issue with the UK release of Let the Right One In. As a result, their disc contains the preferred Swedish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. This new corrected disc is now sold at Amazon.UK.


There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc (unlike what is stated on its back cover): Swedish: DTS 5.1 and Swedish Dolby Digital 5.1. I opted for the Swedish DTS.5 1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the Swedish Dolby Digital 5.1 track.

Well, it is somewhat disappointing to see that Momentum Pictures did not port the outstanding Swedish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track found on the U.S. release of Let The Right One In. I personally thought that the Swedish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 was terrific, one of the best I’ve heard on recent foreign-language films. This being said, the Swedish DTS 5.1 track found on this Blu-ray disc is a bit underwhelming – the surround activity, for example, is not as nuanced as it is on the Swedish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. There are subtle audio effects that are much more prominent on the Swedish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Of course, this is not to say that the Swedish DTS 5.1 track has any major deficiencies. Its basics are solid and I do not believe that you would be terribly disappointed with it.

The English dub from the U.S. release has been replaced with a Swedish Dolby Digital 5.1 track on this disc. Again, dynamically, I find it rather underwhelming. The dialog is clear and easy to follow, but the switches between sound and silence are not as effective as they are on the Swedish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.

A quick note on the English subtitles: This Blu-ray disc contains the theatrical subtitles that were not included on the initial U.S. release of Let the Right One In. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

Let The Right One In Blu-ray, News and Updates

• UK to Let the Right One In on Blu-ray - June 18, 2009