Review of 30 Days of Night (2007) by Timothy S — 08 Feb 2014

The vampire genre has been stagnant and in a state of steady decline for some time now, but all it takes is one brash and inventive entry to shake things up a bit. "30 Days of Night" is one such film, as everything about it feels fresh and rejuvenating from the setting to the creatures themselves.

The idea behind this film is a novel one, and setting the film in Barlow Alaska is inventive. The stark cinematography is oddly beautiful. Still, as it should be, the vampires are really the stars here and they are also quite impressive. The screenwriters took the time necessary to make them the film's centerpiece in terms of their look and way of speaking. An entirely new language was created for them, and it's quite terrifying to hear them speak.

Even though it's impossible to understand them without the subtitles, they each have their own personality, and Danny Huston actually gives the best performance in the film as their leader. Credit director David Spade for the movie's unique visual style that sets it apart from all other similarly themed pictures. It's mirthless and grim, but also imparts some unusually telling information about the vampire mythology as Huston says they spent centuries convincing people they were only bad dreams.

It's moments like that one that really makes "30 Days of Night" something special. The set-up is spectacularly foreboding and the conclusion is thrilling. Not to mention that these creatures of the night are a unique breed you won't find anywhere else.