A fresh take on vampires

Rating: 8/10 (3 November 2007)

The thing most memorable about 30 Days of Night is the sheer nastiness of the vampires themselves. Absent is any semblance of the seductive, vamp sexiness so worn out by Hollywood. These are truly vile, fearsome beasts, holding human form but total contempt for humanity. As the lead vampire says to one fallen victim "What a plague you are."
One might conclude that such creatures could just as easily have been werewolves or even aliens. I would differ. The human like form and odd pseudo-language of the 30days style vamps makes them all the more disturbing. Unlike some alien or animal-like beast, these predators ooze a sadistic joy which makes them a truly dreadful lot.
The film was not without faults. 30 days of night? I think it's actually over 60 days in the real Barrow, AK. The real Barrow? Nothing much like the Barrow depicted in the film. It would have been more plausible to simply make up a fictitious Alaskan town. I also thought the final fight between the hero and lead villain was a bit weak.
Faults aside, the film offers a fresh take on the tired vampire genre and delivers the goods for frights and gore. Obviously, this one is not for children or anyone bothered by horror effects in general.