The Best and Most Original Vampire Film in Years.

Rating: 9/10 (19 April 2008)

'30 Days of Night' is a comic turned film; a throw back to the old horror films that were once the best in the business. The films revolves around a secluded town in Alaska, that for once a year is thrown into complete darkness for a month (hence the title).
The film begins with an unknown man trenching through the snow into this small town, instantly grabbing the audience's attention. As the film continues, the audience see how everyone in town is packing up and leaving, but of course the inevitable happens car breaks down/misses the flight/pure stubbornness, what ever the excuse; they're forced to stay for the whole month. But as darkness falls the vampires come to feast on those still there. And the carnage begins!
The great thing about '30 Days' is that it doesn't follow stereotypes, created by modern generic films. Gone are the sexy, stylish vampires and bring in the animalistic, evil, haunting ones. The gore factor is off the chart. The director gives the audience beheadings, killing of children and just vast amounts of massacre.
Specking of the director, David Slade, is without a doubt the films strongest point. His technical work is the flawless. His use of camera angles sets the tone and gives a real intensity to the film (namely the crane span across the town as the towns-folk run for their lives, and fail). But what surprised me the most was the lack of C.G.I or computer effects.
Nowadays every film use C.G.I in some way, and yes this film does use it, but in a completely different way than other horror/vampire films. The main effects are used on the surroundings to reinforce the idea about being completely isolated from the rest of the world. Even the vampires aren't 'C.G.Ied'. It's thanks to the makeup and costume department rather than the over the top special effects.
The acting, I feel, was average to good. Josh Harnett plays the male protagonist, a role which he's played many times before, and I can think of many others who can do a better job. He isn't bad; he just isn't different from any other character he's played. Melissa George is his bitter estranged wife, Stella. George tackles a new role and pulls it off! She takes control not only in fighting the vampires but as an actress too. The other acting is good too, but didn't live up to the rest of the film.
The main bad point was the ending, a little cliché, something that Slade had avoided the whole way through. But then again it is difficult to give it another ending which is as dramatic.
This film, without question, is the best since '28 Days Later', and just as original. The main idea about '30 Days', is that is does nothing new for the vampire genre, it just avoids cliché and reintroduces the elements of horror that audiences love. It is an understated film, shunning over the top and overly ambitious scenes. I recommend this film highly. It will have you scared but still getting you to peak up from behind the sofa.