[114 mins], dir. Tomas Alfredson

Introduced by Dr. Bethan Stevens (School of English)

In this internationally acclaimed film, Oskar, a bullied 12 year old boy living in 1980s Sweden, befriends Eli, a vampire girl who moves in next door. A film that examines teenage outsiderness, “queer” love and effectively critiques the horror/vampire genres. Alfredson’s sensitive direction, the evocative score and austerely beautiful frozen setting makes it a standout of the vampire movie genre, but also produces a deeper examination of love, desire and normativity.

By: Thomas Richard Houlton
Last updated: Friday, 6 February 2015