Let Me In (Anchor Bay)
This underrated thriller by Matt Reeves (who also made the underrated Cloverfield) is a remake of the best vampire movie of all time, the 2008 Swedish film Let the Right One In. And it's almost as good. More of a coming-of-age story than a monster movie, Let Me In tells the story of a 12-year-old girl (a terrific Chloë Grace Moretz, who also kicked ass in Kick-Ass) who's really a 200-year-old vampire. She befriends a bullied little boy, and their friendship forms the heart of the movie. It's not without shocks (the bloody, cathartic climax will have you rooting for the kids), but this one goes deeper. Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes, in-depth analysis, and a frame-by-frame breakdown of the mind-blowing car-crash scene.
Conviction (Fox Searchlight/Twentieth Century Fox) — Hilary Swank plays a high-school dropout who puts herself through law school so she can defend her brother, who's on trial for murder. It's based on a true story, but it's also kind of labored. Extras include an interview with the real woman.
Never Let Me Go (Fox Searchlight/Twentieth Century Fox) — This sci-fi period drama stars Keira Knightley, Andrew Garfield, and Carey Mulligan as three kids who are raised to be organ donors in an alternate reality. It's smart, subtle, and devastating, and one of 2010's most underrated movies.
Welcome to the Rileys (Sony) — Kristen Stewart plays a stripper and James Gandolfini plays someone other than Tony Soprano in a movie about a couple who hope to rescue a tragic young girl after their own daughter dies. There's lots of heavy-handed soul-searching here. But Melissa Leo is good.
