That cold ain't the weather, that's death approaching.

Rating: 9/10 (27 February 2008)

The citizens of Barrow, Alaska, are getting ready for 30 days of night. As the sun begins to set, Sheriff Eben Olemaun is called out to the local diner to deal with an erratic and hostile newcomer. This Stranger makes violent prognostications, saying that the whole town will not live through the next 30 days. As the sky blackens and the winter encapsulates the town, an army of vampires appears, with no sunlight to fear and no real fear of humans. The vampires, led by the pernicious Marlowe, rampage through the town, killing everyone in sight. But these creatures have underestimated the townsfolk of Barrow. A few who survived the first attacks will do anything to survive, even if it means killing themselves and each other. If these dauntless souls endure, they can tell the whole world that vampires do exist. And, they can tell the world that these creatures will stop at nothing to feed their blood-lust. Humanity has to know of their existence, so that next time, humankind will be prepared to fight them. All they have to do is to wait for the sun to come up. In thirty days, it will all be over...! 30 Days of night is not your typical vampire movie. There are no beguiling Lestats or devastatingly-seductive Draculas. The creatures of 30 Days of Night are hellish, seemingly unstoppable, monsters. They hunt in packs and use bloodied children as bait. At first, their attacks seem frenzied and opportunistic. But as the movie progresses, you realise that they are highly-intelligent killing machines, who will stop at nothing to preserve their existence. As I previously said, 30 Days of Night is trying to stay away from old vampire clichés. No wooden stakes or holy water here, but there is still the odd-nod to Bram Stoker. Ben Foster's character, the Stranger, is a modern interpretation of Renfield. And the eerie ship that lands on the shores of Alaska could be Dracula's ship, the Demeter, itself. Most of the performances are solid, with only Danny Huston and Ben Foster standing out from the crowd. Ben Foster seems to be emerging as the current actor to watch. He is following up a memorable performance in 3.10 to Yuma, with an enticingly, menacing turn as the Stranger in 30 days of Night.
The film, 30 Days of Night, is an atmospheric thrill-ride. It is packed to the teeth with frightening encounters and gory demises. It has enough blood-soaked slaughter to appease even slasher fans. And, it has enough mythos and chilling ambiance to please the purists. In short, this film is a palpitating shocker that will enthral most horror fans.