A touching love story with a 'shocking' finale: 'Let Me In' returns to Korea

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A touching love story with a 'shocking' finale: 'Let Me In' returns to Korea

Published: 12 Jul. 2025, 08:00

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Actors for the Korean rendition of play ″Let the Right One In″ rehearse at the National Theater of Korea in central Seoul on July 8. [YONHAP]

Eli, a vampire girl, often meets Oskar, the boy next door, in the woods. At first, Eli draws a line, telling Oscar, “I can’t be your friend.” But as they spend more time together, they grow closer, and their feelings for one another deepen. Eli tries to hide her identity from Oskar, but the truth is what it is — she is a being who cannot survive without drinking human blood.

The play “Let the Right One In” is based on the 2004 novel of the same title by Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvist. It is familiar to Korean audiences thanks to the 2008 Swedish film adaptation, better known as “Let Me In” in Korea.

The story was first adapted for the stage in 2013 by the National Theatre of Scotland. It premiered in Korea in 2016 and is being revived this year for the first time in nine years. A 2020 performance was scheduled but ultimately canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

At its core, “Let the Right One In” is a story of the fragile love between two wounded souls. Oscar, a lonely boy bullied by classmates who force him to eat dirt and call him names, finds his only friend in Eli. But Eli, who has survived for centuries feeding on human blood in hiding, is just as isolated. They fall in love while sharing each other’s pain — but a romance between an immortal vampire and a mortal boy aging day by day is hardly simple.

Onstage, these delicate emotions are conveyed through not only dialogue, but also physical expression. The cast moves with choreographed precision, and their subtle physical gestures often speak louder than words. The original 2016 production left one viewer commenting that it “felt like a dance play” — a sentiment echoed in the current revival.

John Tiffany, the play’s original director, said in a recent video interview with Korean media that the characters express their longing for connection through choreography. Oskar, in particular, struggles to articulate his emotions and feels emotionally misunderstood, so dance becomes a key outlet for his inner world. A recurring Morse code exchange between Eli and Oskar serves as a symbolic gesture of their bond.

While a love story at heart, “Let the Right One In” also dabbles in horror. True to its vampire theme, blood appears throughout the show, with several chilling and graphic moments. Scenes where crimson blood stains white snow capture the production’s mix of beauty and brutality.

Even the production team offers a stark warning. “The final 10 minutes feature a shocking scene unlike anything I’ve ever seen — I couldn’t even blink,” said the Korean associate director.

The set is equally striking. With just a jungle gym and a streetlamp as props, the stage is filled with a birch forest that evokes a haunting atmosphere.

An Seoung-gyun and Cheon Woo-jin alternate in the role of Oskar while Gwon Seul-ah and Baek Seung-yeon alternate Eli. An reprises his role from the original 2016 production. Gwon had been cast as Eli in the canceled 2020 run, and, after a second audition, finally takes the stage in this year’s revival.

“Let the Right One In” runs through Aug. 16 at the Haeoreum Grand Theater at the National Theater of Korea in Jangchung-dong, central Seoul.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HA NAM-HYUN [[email protected]]