A morally bankrupt double feature?

This cranky critic had little to gripe about over the weekend.

The release of “Let Me In” and “The Social Network” delivered a double dose of excitement – movies that entertained while tickling our minds with thoughtful dialogue and characters.

How beautiful is that?

But both films left me a tad cold, and it took me a while to figure out why.

Each asks audiences to root for people – or undead types – who pose a threat to others in some fashion. In “Network,” we’re given a socially unstable inventor who will do whatever it takes to make his creation popular. In “Let Me In,” we must cheer on a sweet, soulful teen whose very existence demands the death of others.

It isn’t Hollywood’s responsibility to deliver noble heroes every time out. That would be dull, although the parent in me wouldn’t mind Lil’ WWTW growing up with so many healthy role models.

Perhaps if these films had tackled the matter directly I would have left the theater more satiated. Instead, each film wraps without coming to grips with the true nature of its protagonists. That doesn’t rob either film of its artistry, but it prevented them from setting up camp in my head. That’s what excellent movies so often do. I find my mind going back to them for days, sometimes weeks, after screening them. It’s hard to mull over characters you want to keep at arm’s length.

Guess the weekend’s lineup made me a little cranky after all.

(Photo: Chloe Grace Moretz plays a vampire who needs to feast on the living to survive in “Let Me In.”/Overture Films)

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