“Let the Right One In” was a great book made into an equally amazing film.

What started as a successful piece of literature took almost no time to explode into a movie that has been hailed as one of the best vampire films in terms of originality and plot of the past decade– and rightfully so. “Let the Right One In” refers to vampirism as simply another trait rather than a defining characteristic. It focuses on plot and on the human aspect of all involved so much that the story is easily relatable, even with so many fantastic elements.

“Let the Right One In” is essentially a story about the innocence of a young 12-year-old boy, Oskar, who is incessantly bullied by his larger peers. He feels powerless and constantly wishes he was able to do more to defend himself. He soon finds that his new neighbor, Eli, a young girl who looks to be around his age, is the only companion he really has.

Eli, though, is not what she seems. She is a vampire who leaves a definitive trail of bodies in her wake, but who finds herself desperately wanting to keep Oskar safe– especially from herself.

The film is less of a cliché when it comes to the vampire tale (although there is plenty of gore for the fans of the genre) and more a character-driven art film.

What made the original movie so faithful to the subject matter of the book was the fact that the author, Ajvide Lindqvist, actually wrote the screenplay as well. This, of course, makes perfect sense– who can convey the message of the characters and the true dynamics of what is happening, scene-to-scene, better than the person who envisioned it all in the first place?

While Lindqvist’s was not a fresh perspective, it was definitely the right one.

Now, here’s the thing: “Let the Right One In” debuted in 2008. It’s a two-year-old movie that has become beloved by all who see it. It even has a 97 percent “fresh” rating at rottentomatoes.com– this is an even higher rating than Christopher Nolan’s critical darling (and huge summer blockbuster) “Inception” (87 percent). This goes to show that people, including myself, definitely liked this movie.

“Let Me In,” therefore, has pretty big shoes to fill. For those of you who haven’t watched a movie in more than a month, “Let Me In” is the remake of “Let the Right One In” and will be debuting this Friday. In only one day we will get to see whether or not this American version is able to touch on the beauty of the original Swedish version.

Initial reviews haven’t been bad. In fact, they’ve been great. They’ve been amazed by what the new film has done. Maybe it’s because this movie,”Let Me In,” isn’t actually a remake. “Let Me In” is an adaptation of the book, not the film, but stylized differently. It’s been American-ized in order to be more relevant to our own society, but the message remains the same.

It’s still a love story about a powerless little boy and his extremely powerful protector. It’s still about being an outcast and being preyed upon by those who are bigger and stronger than you (these characters think that these traits make them better than the protagonist). It’s still about wanting to escape your circumstances in order to get to a better place.

I loved “Let the Right One In.” It’s one of my favorite movies. I think that it’s a movie that deserves to be remembered as a standalone. That’s why, when I go see “Let Me In,” I won’t dare compare one with the other. I will try my best to recognize that two different cultures are at work, that the makers of this most recent adaptation of the book have tried to create something just as beautiful, and just as beloved, as the creators of the original.