Don't Let Him In (2011)

I don't take any pleasure in sticking the boot in on a film so woeful, but I have to write this purely for selfish reasons. See, what keeps happening is this: I see a film called Don't let Him In listed, and it captures my attention. So, my interest piqued – I enjoy even below average horror films, mostly – I look at the synopsis. And I think, "Sounds good." So I set it to record, and look forward to watching it. Then, when the mood takes and I have the two hours set aside, I sit down to watch it. Get a few snacks ready. A drink. Lights down. And then I play the movie.The first few seconds are fine. But then: a vague gnawing in my stomach. Not the good kind of edginess a decent horror might give you; rather, an uneasy feeling that I'm an idiot who doesn't learn from previous mistakes. But I'm unsure, and keep watching, hoping vainly that maybe I'm wrong. But the opening sequence ends, and I see that shot of houses. And it sinks in. The dread and discomfiture spread through me. Then, the next shot of the house. I'm still not absolutely convinced, but in my heart, I know. Then the killer blow: the shot – THAT shot – in the kitchen. The skewiff, seemingly rushed framing. The ropey sound recording. The stiff acting from miscast people who seem unsure about what they're doing. I can't ignore the truth anymore: I've been here before – several times. Because, like my own private horror movie, this keeps happening to me.I keep recording Don't Let Him In, having forgotten that I've seen it, and that it was – truly – one of the worst things I've ever sat through. And I seem to block it from my mind (that perfectly generic title is so easy to separate from the film it belongs to) and forget that it ever happened, and record it again, and sit down to watch again, and I am swamped with anger and disappointment. I stop the film as the girl is doing her best to act like someone coughing in bed, and delete it, promising to never let this happen again. A few months later, I see a film listed called Don't Let Him In, and think, "Hmm, that might be interesting..." So: enough. This ends, now, here. As said above, I take no satisfaction in trashing these folks' movie, which I'm sure they worked hard on. Plenty of others here have gone into the details of what makes it so awful (as well as some shameless shills giving it 9 and 10...seriously: at least try and be cleverer about lying on behalf of your friends/employers), so I won't do that.All I want to do is say to myself: Please. Remember. You have seen the British horror film called Don't let Him In. You gave it 1/10 on IMDb. Learn. Stop forgetting that you've been here before. See the warnings earlier. Recognise the title. Do not set to record.Make this the last time. Burn the title into your mind: DON'T LET HIM IN. You can't keep doing this to yourself.Here's hoping.

A rather dull couple take a break at a remote cottage in the country. Our dull couple take with them the male's whingeing sister, and the bloke she picked up yesterday for a one-night stand, who is aggressive, secretive, and generally extremely unpleasant. They have hardly been at the cottage for 10 minutes (not all that remote, then) before the local copper turns up and warns them about the local serial killer who is dismembering people and hanging the bits from trees. That night, a bloke turns up badly injured from assorted knife wounds: our heroine is a nurse and she stitches him up in no time. But that doesn't stop the killings. By which I mean it doesn't stop the killings starting within our group. Who on earth could the killer be? (by the way, don't bother asking, because the answer makes little sense).This is a cabin in the woods, last man standing, slasher horror. If it had been an American cabin in the woods movie, all the trees would have been in leaf: as it is British, it is inevitably filmed in the winter, when cottages don't have holiday letting, so all the trees are bare and everyone looks frozen. I digress. It is extremely slow to get started, and afflicted with a script in which the characters are a) almost all completely unlikeable and b) even more than usually inclined to behave with suicidal stupidity. Some of the acting is OK, and the technical aspects of the film are dealt with professionally.But it isn't very good, and I don't recommend it.

Big spoilers here but I suggest you'll read them so you don't have to bother watching this movie.I can't believe people are being positive about this movie, there are even people here who say that the actions the characters made were believable. All characters were a joke, especially the police agent who just happened to be at an abandoned farm and didn't notice a bloody guy with two knives right behind him. Why go look for that Tristan in a dark forest while he has a cellphone? The cellphone seemed to work perfectly well in the forest. (except when the calls were important, of course). Someone who has been cut comes into your house, what do you do? Exactly, go fishing and leave the women at home. That blonde girl (didnt bother to remember her name) was so dumb, i couldn't help laughing when she was killed. And that girl who just sits there drawing some body parts on a tree? And the multiple teacher screams that follow? I couldn't stop laughing. I'll give it a 2 instead of a 1 to give the writer of the movie benefit of the doubt that he meant the film to be this bad. The maggots coming from the eyelids. The total random spike in the farm. The struggles in the house, especially when Paige and Tristan fall when fighting over the knife. The scare effects you could've seen coming from a mile away like the bloody hand on the window, the screaming gypsy hiker. I'm glad I've seen this movie so I won't ever think that it could've been good and I'm glad all the characters ended up dead.

The movie grabs you right from the start and takes you on a ride filled with u-turns and questionable motives.Don't let him in is more psychological than gore and much is left up to your imagination which for me makes the whole thing a lot scarier.The sound and cinematography are also excellent and helps to immerse you into the world of this serial killer.The one negative I had about the movie is that not all the actors were engaging for me. The two leads are captivating but unfortunately I think a couple let the movie down a little.It's not for everyone. If you're looking for a relaxing Sunday or If wonderful life is your movie of choice then I'd probably give it a miss! If you're in the mood to be scared and a little creeped out then this movie will probably be for you.