Round 3 – Storytelling
Both of these films were adapted from novels, so neither earns any points as an original screenplay with a story crafted specifically for film. Neither presents a traditional narrative: Let the Right One In ends almost at random with little intelligible character development from Oskar, and Interview with the Vampire‘s non-linear structure and vast leaps through time laugh in the face of the contemporary rules of screenwriting, which would have almost all films set over the course of a few weeks at most, and present the entire story in strict temporal sequence. While it’s a close call, in the end Interview with the Vampire‘s audaciousness has to beat Let the Right One In‘s at times pretentious determination to stick to the indie storytelling rulebook.
It was a close call, but with two rounds out of three, Interview with the Vampire walks away victorious. Let the Right One In put up a brave fight, but ultimately its indie sensibilities just can’t compete with Interview‘s hugely ambitious and impressive script, and costume and set design.
If you’re a fan of Let the Right One In or Interview with the Vampire, leave a comment saying why you think it beats the other into a bloody pulp. After all, what’s the internet for if not to begin a pointless argument with a stranger? (Don’t say porn.)
