Rob Zombie is a romantic. You weren’t expecting me to start this out this way, but I truly believe the only way to understand Zombie’s work is through what I’d like to call a Sweetie Pie lens. The shock rocker and horror auteur has been a vegetarian since he was 18 and a vegan as of 2012 (he also loves juicing!), is an outspoken advocate for the protection of animals, and really, really, loves his wife, Sheri Moon Zombie, which, you know, obviously. So it came as no surprise to me that Zombie thinks the Swedish vampire love story Let the Right One In (2008) is “fantastic.”
“I think the thing I like so much about foreign horror films is that it just creates so much of a different atmosphere,” he told Vice in 2014. “Scaring people is difficult, and it’s easier when you have an approach they’re unfamiliar with.”
What’s striking about Zombie’s admiration for Let the Right One In is how much the film reflects his own preoccupations, even if, stylistically, the film is totally different from his own work (although, upon a recent rewatch, I actually think the film shares more similarities with Zombie’s work than we’d expect, but that’s a conversation for another time).
Directed by Tomas Alfredson and written by John Ajvide Lindqvist (who also wrote the 2004 novel), Let the Right One In tells the story of Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant), a shy, sensitive boy tormented by bullies, who becomes friends with a strange girl named Eli (Lina Leandersson). But as Eli warns, she is not a girl, and she and her guardian, Håkan (Per Ragnar), might have something to do with the recent string of murders in their dreary suburban town.
Zombie’s explored similar ground, particularly in his Halloween (2007) remake, with his version of Michael Myers as a child from an abusive, dysfunctional family. Zombie has always been fascinated by what cruelty does to a person in his work. Oskar, like Michael, is a product of neglect, and his bond with Eli, though tragic, serves as both his shield and literal weapon.
Let the Right One In is also a queer movie. Although Eli reads as female, her actual gender identity is intentionally ambiguous (the film implies that Eli was castrated in a blink-and-you-miss-it scene). The film doesn’t make Eli’s gender identity a twist, but instead, it incorporates queerness into its central love story, affirming that tenderness exists beyond rigid categories or definitions. For a filmmaker like Zombie, who has long aligned himself with those on the margins, it’s easy to see why this would be appealing to him as well.
At first glance, it might seem funny that the guy who made The Devil’s Rejects would swoon over this tragic vampire romance. But if you think about it, Zombie has always been in touch with his softer side. If you’re reading this, Rob, please write a dating book. Something, please. These men need it.
As always, if you love Let the Right One In (or Rob Zombie!), let me know: @ashjenexi on Instagram and X.
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