Let Us In Review from Independent American Pictures!
Filmmaker Anthony Moran is from Detroit, Michigan and proud of it. He is on a mission to put Detroit’s name on the map for indie films. After making his first feature length film in 2014, a revenge movie titled Strong Arm Moran set his sights on Let Us In, the horror film he knew he wanted to make happen. An Indigogo campaign was started to raise funds.
Moran completed Let Us In which is described as Last House on The Left meets Night of The Living Dead. Also pulling influences from such classics as Evil Dead and Lucio Fulci’s Zombie, along with biker flicks like Satan’s Sadists. He also enlisted hometown effects guru/filmmaker James Bell (Harm, Nutsack, Evaporation) to make the gore literally pop on screen. Bell has been a sought-after commodity for his prosthetic effects work in numerous indie films plus he is a resident of Michigan himself so it only makes sense.
Let Us In tells the story of Reed (director Anthony Moran), the leader of motorcycle gang Satan’s Keys. Reed and his gang are pissed, they were double crossed, bikes stolen, and they lost their drug stash. Reed and Satan’s Keys are out to raise hell, get revenge and get their shit back.
At the same time the city is in a state of emergency as residents are becoming infected and attacking the living. We meet Chris (Hans Wittrock) as his car breaks down and he journeys to find help. He meets up with Sarah (India Rose) who gives him a ride until they find themselves in a similar situation when her car runs out of fuel. They end up at a house where they meet Kevin (Kevin Tates). Kevin has been holding up in a house with his girlfriend who has been bitten by one of the infected.
To top it all off Reed and his gang have their sights set on the house where Chris, Sarah, and Kevin are shacked up in. It seems the previous inhabitants have Reeds drugs stashed somewhere in the house. The gang lay siege to the house while Chris and Sarah try to stay alive.
Let Us In has a retro vibe reminiscent of the ‘90s Sub Rossa Cinema releases especially how it’s shot and the washed out look of colors, background, and scenery. The movie has pacing issues especially with prolonged scenes of Chris abandoning his car and just walking endlessly. Those scenes go on for far too long. It takes awhile for things to start happening but there is never really a climax or pay-off even at the ending.
Bell’s effects are well done as to be expected but even they seem a little restrained compared to the crazy shit he pulls off in his own films. Let Us In had a hard time finding a groove or balance mixing the infection/zombie vibe with the biker gang Assault on Precinct 13 siege.
Moran is passionate about the film, and I praise him for what he has accomplished here. I dig the way it’s shot. It has a great vibe and music and Moran himself plays a menacing bad guy. Let Us In has been well received and is now available through Anthony Moran on Facebook in DVD and VHS additions which include cool hand made barf bags and cool extras such as pins, and they are doing Satan’s Keys logo shirts for purchase.
I’m definitely looking forward to watching what else Moran has in store especially on his mission to add a bit of Detroit grit to his films flavor. I wish him all the best with Let Us In and praise his do-it-yourself attitude and vigor.
Directed by: Anthony Moran
Written by: Anthony Moran
Produced by: Rebecca Solano, Robert Smith
Cinematography by: Mark Larsen, Anthony Moran
Special Effects by: James Bell
Editing by: Mark Larsen
Cast: India Rose, Hans Wittrock, Kevin Tates, Robert Smith, Timothy Jenkins, Anthony Moran, Rebecca Solano
Year: 2022
Country: USA
Language: English
Colour: Colour
Runtime: 1h 1min
Studio: Independent American Pictures