The following are noted differences between the original John Ajvide Lindqvist novel "Let The Right One In" and the two movie adaptations: a Swedish film and an American version of the story.
Book vs. Let Me In (American film adaptation)[]
Book cover (English)
Official movie poster (American)
Differences[]
Scenes/lines/characters that were not in the book but were added for the movie:
| Book | American Movie |
|---|---|
| The main characters, all of whom are Swedish, are Oskar, Eli and Håkan. | The names of the main characters have been changed to Owen, Abby, and "The Father," whose name was revealed to be Thomas in the comic book prequel. All three are of American nationality. |
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The events take place in the Stockholm, Sweden suburb of Blackeberg. |
The events take place in an American background, specifically Los Alamos, New Mexico. |
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Eli was a boy who was castrated when he became a vampire. As a result, he developed a feminine persona. Håkan had a more detrailed backstory than the American version of his character. He is revealed to have known Eli for a relatively short time period, and was a former school teacher who lost his job and home when he was exposed as a pedophile. Let the Old Dreams Die - Official sequel to Let the Right One In; unrelated to Let Me In. |
Chloë Grace Moretz, who was instructed by the director Matt Reeves to create Abby's backstory, has stated that her character was a young girl who came from an impoverished family two to three centuries before 1983. According to Moretz, the vampire who attacked and turned Abby was her own uncle. Little information is given about the character of "The Father" (aka Thomas). It is revealed later on a filmstrip that Thomas had known Abby since he was a young boy. Unlike his Swedish counterpart, there is no indication that Thomas is a pedophile. On the contrary, the film and its graphic novel prequel both indicate that Thomas's feelings for Abby are genuine and not driven by lust for one with the appearance of a minor. Let Me In: Crossroads - Official prequel to Let Me In, unrelated to Let the Right One In. |
Book vs. Let The Right One In (Swedish film adaptation)[]
Book cover (Swedish)
Official movie poster (Swedish)
Differences[]
Scenes/lines/characters that were not in the book but were added for the movie:
| Book | Swedish Movie |
|---|---|
| In the novel, more of the deviant aspects of the character Håkan are explored, including his sexual obsession with Eli. Less focus is put on the young romance of the two main characters, and more on the psychology of the different characters. | Many of the minor characters and events from the book were removed, and focus was directed primarily on the love story between the two lead characters. Many aspects of the character Håkan, including him being a pedophile, were removed, and his relationship with Eli was left open to interpretation. |