Let Us In Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: A town is terrorized by cornball, black-eyed brats and only two kids can stop them.

Review: Not to be confused with "Let Me In," this is essentially a lame kid-horror movie based on some equally ludicrous internet superstition. Now, while I can see why people are hating this film, I think it has enough charm to at least be watchable if you're the age of the characters or a parent looking for a safe horror to enjoy with the kiddies. You know, something family-friendly where no one even curses and everyone makes it out safe...well except for that one kid they don't save. But screw him, am I right? Outside of that target demographic, I think the only reason why anyone is giving this a view is because Jigsaw himself, Tobin Bell, has a touted role. I have no doubt this was some kind of favor for somebody involved in the production but, if you are tuning in just for him, don't bother.

What you are actually getting here is PG-rated horror on a low budget to boot; imagine on the level of "Goosebumps" and "Are You Afraid of the Dark" (which I'm failing to review). However, the characters and story are cheesy enough for me to appreciate the effort. The acting can be...uhh, questionable...at times to say the least. On one hand the story wants to be serious--dealing with death, guilt, and grief; yet, in the same breath, one of the main characters says he thinks he "sharted" in what's supposed to be a tense moment. Yeaaah, expect a lot of stupid moments like that. In the end, the kids manage to save the day in the dumbest/easiest of ways, befriend/unite with their bullies, and are thrown a parade by the town...on top of winning a contest and free vacation. Very plausible. Okay, I admit that is so impossibly corny it's good!

I can overlook--even be amused by--shenanigans of this caliber, but I see why others are giving this low ratings. Of course, this is nowhere near the likes of "The Monster Squad," however, there should be an audience out there for this kind quirky fun. Don't get me wrong, I'm not recommending this movie at all or even saying it's good. In fact, it's quite poorly made and, ultimately, idiotic in presentation...I'm merely saying "Let Us In" serves as an offbeat horror film aimed at 7-12 year olds and succeeds in that regard.

Notable Moment: When the kids conveniently make contact with an alien that helps them fight the bad guys. Well...NASA and all the world governments better refund the billions in funding wasted over the decades, because two kids were able to make first contact with shoddy equipment in a garage.

Final Rating: 5/10