30 Days of Night Review

Directed by David Slade
Written by Stuart Beattie and Brian Nelson

Starring Josh Hartnett (Sin City) and Melissa George (2005's The Amityville Horror), 30 Days of Night is a little like an old '50s B-movie with a few modern twists. You've got vampires that look like rejects from the Blade films. You've got a bunch of do-gooder Alaskan townspeople. There's not a lot that is not on the surface in 30 Days of Night. That's good and bad.

What is 30 Days of Night about?

A stranger played by Ben Foster (X-Men 3: The Last Stand) wanders into Barrow, Alaska. His motives are unknown. His character is unknown. Then he starts to make a ruckus at the only diner in town and the Sheriff, Eben Oleson (Hartnett) throws him in a jail cell.

Eben pretty much has his entire family working for him. His grandmother and his brother work at the station. His wife/ ex, Stella (George) is a fellow cop. Don't make the mistake of thinking she's too soft for this job. George's Stella may surprise you.

Since this is Alaska, one of the highest places in the country, they hardly ever see nightfall. Then during one full month, the people of Barrow, Alaska are completely blanketed in darkness.

Think about what a treat that might be very a band of blood-sucking vampires. You know they don't like the sun. Why wouldn't these creatures be drawn to a town of 100 or so people living in complete nightfall for 30 straight days? They are. They come. And all hell breaks loose for this little Alaskan town.

The stranger mentioned above acts like a homing beckon for these creatures. He goes to a town and they follow. All he wants is for the vampires to end his life. This stranger has grown insane with guilt. They finally grant his wish after bringing them to Barrow.

Within the first hour or so, most of the people in Barrow are picked off, slaughtered or changed. There just so happens to be a number of survivors. Lead by Eben, this group of people is hell bent on getting through the month without being eaten or bitten by the blood-suckers. They hide out in attics, the local grocery store and the police station. They try everything to avoid being spotted. Then when push comes to shove, one has to make a choice and sacrifice themselves for the good of the group.

My thoughts

When you've seen one vampire movie, you've seen them all. We already know what these creatures are capable of. We know what their weaknesses are. But what makes 30 Days of Night different than any of the others - aside from the obvious month's worth of night concept are the little things. These vampires don't speak much English. They are speaking a different language than we've ever heard. It could be Klingon for all we know. But just the fact that we have to read subtitles while watching these creatures bite into people makes 30 Days that much more interesting. Then there is the location itself. Sure this could very well be the setting for another version of The Thing, but it's not. It's a vampire movie set in one of the coldest regions of the world.

The serious distractions are in the acting department, including parts performed by Josh Hartnett. It's hollow acting to say the least. Hartnett and George have very little charisma together for a married couple. These characters are right out of a B-movie monster movie of the '50s. They have very little depth and character to them. But don't let that distract you from being intrigued by the freezing surroundings, and scared by the creepy blood-suckers.

Final note

I can't say that this horror movie is a landmark for the genre, but 30 Days of Night is certainly not a black eye either. There are enough good things in the film to keep your mind from drifting to sleep that you'll almost forget about all of the obvious bad things. You'll end up staying scared throughout the entirety of the movie.