**UPDATED!** Magnet has corrected their error, promising to now release the film with the theatrical subtitles. People who have already purchased the film, however, are shit out of luck and will be stuck with their crappy copy, as Magnet is refusing to offer any sort of exchange program. What a major bummer for the die-hard fans who have already purchased their copies! Those who want to buy the new version can ensure it has the correct subtitles by checking the tech specs at the bottom of the back of the DVD casing, where it should read “SUBTITLES: ENGLISH (Theatrical), SPANISH.” Those who want to complain to Magnet can do so here (but if you expect them to actually change their minds, please be courteous).

Original story follows:

Swedish vampire flick Let the Right One In was one of the underseen masterpieces to be released last year, and we here at c, vt loved it. So imagine our disappointment at discovering that the American DVD/Blu-ray release that came out earlier this month butchers the film with… terrible subtitles.

Now any avid watcher of foreign films knows that the subtitles can absolutely make or break a movie. The subtleties and nuances in dialogue more often than not convey more than its face value – words are chosen carefully and precisely to not only express what they mean literally, but to also carry through underlying humor, emotions, and intentions. While small differences might not seem much at first, they can completely change a film’s tone, atmosphere, and unfortunately, quality.

And, as Icons of Fright recently discovered, that’s the case for the US DVD/Blu-ray release of Let the Right One In. Much of the dialogue in the film has been dumbed down and simplified, or otherwise just poorly expressed to the point that the original integrity of the conversation is lost. Check out this example below, and more over at Icons of Fright:

The first still is from the original DVD screener with the correct subtitles; the official release subtitles follow.

This conversation between Eli and her caretaker Haken defines the two’s relationship, where after Haken’s recent failure, Eli tells him that he doesn’t have to go out on her behalf tonight. His simple response conveys so much about their history and his inner turmoil. But in the new release, it’s been dumbed down to…

Not only is it borderline incomprehensible, it completely loses the subtext. And this isn’t even the most egregious of transgressions; check out the original article for much, much more.

Let the Right One In deserves a proper release, and frankly this incarnation doesn’t cut it. Can Criterion just step in and show Magnolia/Magnet what’s up?

Tags: Let the Right One In, Subtitles