"You ain't gonna eat me!"

Rating: 6/10 (24 August 2015)

Sheriff Josh Hartnett tries to defend his isolated Alaskan town against a gang of vampires that strike during the annual period where the town experiences 30 days of night. A very cool idea for a horror movie, based on a comic book, that never quite reaches its potential. It's entertaining enough but not scary. Director David Slade cares more about action sequences of vampire attacks and people fighting them off than build a terrifying atmosphere. The movie has two basic speeds: too slow or too fast. It never manages to find a perfect balance.
Josh Hartnett does a fine job despite seeming too young for the role of a sheriff that a whole town respects and looks to for leadership. Melissa George, Manu Bennett, and Mark Boone Junior are among the other 'good guys' that stand out. The vamps are led by Danny Huston, who is neither charismatic or frightening enough to make an impact. Ben Foster gives a wonderfully hammy turn as a Renfieldesque character who gets most of the movie's best lines. The direction is uninspired and I can't help but wonder how much better this could have been with a director at the helm with more style. Sam Raimi was one of the producers of this and I can only imagine how much more visually interesting the movie would've been had he directed it. It's an enjoyable movie but, like I said, I think it had potential to be something more. As it is, it's a nice popcorn horror flick with a decent cast and an interesting backdrop that goes on a little too long.