Kodi Smit-McPhee | Scott's Film Reviews-1,425 + Reviews posted so far!!!

Let Me In-2010

Director Matt Reeves

Starring Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Grace Moretz

Scott’s Review #509

Reviewed November 4, 2016

Grade: A-

I loved Let Me In (2010).

It is nearly as exceptional as the original, Let the Right One In (2008), which is Swedish.

Billed as horror, it contains none of the typical horror cliches or corny dialogue- rather it is mysterious, compelling, and character-driven.

This in itself is refreshing.

Additionally, the cinematography is exceptional in its coldness, darkness, and good old-fashioned ambiance.

Let Me In is about a twelve-year-old outcast, named Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who befriends a neighbor girl-Abby (Chloe Grace Moretz)- who we learn is a vampire.

Owen is bullied at school and through Abby, learns to stand up to his tormentors.

I am partial to foreign language films so, to me, the American version lacks the engaging language a bit and is not…well, foreign, so that detracts slightly, but not much at all, and this effort is quite remarkable.

This film is a horror film- in the classic sense of containing vampires and not being played for goofs- and quite gory, but also a beautiful, emotional film, and the concepts of sadness and loneliness are explored.

Let Me In (2010) is one of the best horror films I’ve seen in recent years.

ParaNorman-2012

Director Chris Butler, Sam Fell

Starring Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick

Scott’s Review #453

Reviewed July 23, 2016

Grade: B+

ParaNorman (2012) is a highly imaginative and very enjoyable, animated film that I admired a great deal.

Creative colors and images are key and the film is stop-motion.

Despite being animated it is not a kid’s movie but rather geared toward the teenager or older demographic.

It is among the strongest, along with Frankenweenie, a similar type film, of the five nominated films for Best Animated feature, in the year 2012.

ParaNorman is so similar to Frankenweenie that they could almost be simultaneously reviewed or watched on the same day. Both center around an isolated young male coping with his surroundings and both contain a light horror feel to them.

In ParaNorman, an army of zombies invades a small, suburban town, and our hero, Norman, a strange young man who can communicate with the dead, must save the day.

The film contains sympathetic peers, but the adults in the film present various obstacles.

I have gone on record as being not much of an animated film fan, but I do view the best of each year and this one impressed me immensely.

Oscar Nominations: Best Animated Feature Film