You Shouldn't Have Let Me In – review

Director: Dave Parker

Release date: 2024

Contains spoilers

A Tubi original, I put this on with low expectations but it managed to be more than expected and revealed itself as a neat little vampire film with an unusual vampire type (spider based) and a neat bit of lore that was used really well. Of course, the name is a riff on the John Ajvide Lindqvist novel/filmic spin offs (where the US vehicle uses the alternative Let Me In rather than Let the Right One In) and seems to have slowly crept in as a trope, for instance being the baseline for Let the Wrong One In.

Brianna attacked

It starts in a club and a woman, Brianna (Giulia Nunnari), engaged in a passionate kiss with a fella (Andrea Melis). She breaks off the kiss and determines to leave, he appears to follow. Walking across a town square she is clearly drunk and gets a phone call. She denies to Jenny (Anastasiya Bogach) that she is drunk. However, her instincts do click in and she starts to think she is being followed and starts to drunkenly run. Reaching steps, she loses her heels and gets to a gate but it is padlocked. She is approached (we don’t see the person(s) in detail but perspective suggests from left and right) and a clawed hand slashes over her face.

Blake and Kelsey

A train going through Italian countryside and onboard Kelsey (Diana Gardner) is on her phone and Blake (Nathaniel Ansbach) is bored. He suggests she stops doing work as they’re on vacation – pointing out that the world won’t end if the assistant to the assistant goes offline. They are there for the hen night and then wedding of mutual friend Rochelle (Isabella Egizi). It becomes apparent that Kelsey has a hangup as groom-to-be Richard (Davide Nurra) is Kelsey’s ex, who cheated on her and then got together with Rochelle. Blake suggests she concentrates on Italian hunks, that’s what he’ll be doing.

friends at the beach

They have to go straight to meet Rochelle and Jenny at the beach. Rochelle is an influencer and Jenny is stage managing her wedding as an event. It is interesting that this used the influencer phenomena and I watched it just a few weeks after doing my chapter for a forthcoming book, my piece touching partly on influencers in the vampire genre (more on that when the book comes out eventually), as this uses that trend well as a plot device and key element. Things aren’t going quite to plan, Brianna has not turned up and simply texted an excuse and Kelsey is not in the choreographed beachwear expected. It is organiser Jenny who seems more Bridezilla than the bride, Rochelle just suggests not posting pictures of Kelsey whilst off-brand (she has sponsors, she’s sure her friend will understand).

in the book

Kelsey takes the opportunity to look around the town and, as she does, comes across Brianna’s shoes (not knowing they are hers, of course) and then a rose at the gate where the woman was subsequently attacked. Picking it up, she pricks her finger and when she puts it back down there is blood on the white petals. She is accosted by a woman (Laura Mura) with a photo. She works out that the woman is looking for a missing person (presumably her daughter) and she notices a red centred broach the woman wears. She then gets to a shop and, inside, sees a pendant with the same red centre. The shop owner Dario (Riccardo Angelini) explains that the centre is blood of a martyr and the legend of a hypnotic spider who used to prey on the village, which the blood is said to protect from. He gives her the necklace. Blake arrives and, after Dario is told that Blake and Kelsey are not boyfriend/girlfriend, flirting occurs with Blake, who gets Dario’s number. Dario has said Kelsey looks familiar and there is a book he has with a sepia photo that looks just like her.

Victor and Kelsey

They get to the villa they are staying in, which has been donated for their use by Victor (Fabián Castro). There is an aside of seeing Brianna’s room festooned with cobwebs but nothing else is done with that. Kelsey wears the expected outfit but also the new pendent, which Jenny makes her remove as it doesn’t go with the look. A text from Brianna summons them to a club recommended by Victor, who is (of course) the vampire and is waiting for them. 

hypnotic eyes

It isn’t a spoiler really to tell you that he is after Kelsey (who closely resembles his lost love) but this vampire is not depicted romantically or misunderstood, rather he manipulates, enforces his will hypnotically (and through blood, which can also cause controlled hallucinations) to force consent, is a predator and drawn evil – all of which is great. Towards the end we hear that he drew them to him, offering the free accommodation, having seen the pictures of Kelsey posted by Rochelle and that makes this spider’s web the internet as well as having physical webbing (there is also a moment where rose petals are laid out in the form of a spiderweb).

Blake and Dario

Dario is the last of a line of vampire hunting knights and is searching for a vial of martyr’s blood that will damage Victor (much like holy water). The martyr blood aspect was the neat bit of lore and was used really well. Other rules are standard – lack of reflection, stake through the heart and the need for invitation. This extends to his own house as the guests have signed a rental agreement and Jenny (the signatory) is the one who must invite him. He has a couple of minions and there is a fabulous moment with one of them that I won’t spoil.

spider form

The film is fairly standard plot wise, with the spider element and the martyr’s blood adding its own twist to a familiar story, but it is well done. The cinematography works and nothing looks too cheap, despite it being a budget production. The characters seemed natural, the queer elements are not forced but rather they fit organically, and the pace bobbed along without dragging. I liked the influencer (and related abuse of the influencer by the vampire) themes. Is it the greatest film – of course not. But it is certainly worth a watch. 6 out of 10.

The imdb page is here.