Movie Review: 30 Days of Night

[xrr rating=3.5/5]

30 Days Of Night
2007, 113mins, R
Director: David Slade
Writer (s): Stuart Beattie, Steve Niles, Brian Nelson, Ben Templesmith (Graphic novel)
Cast includes: Josh Hartnett, Danny Huston, Melissa George, Ben Foster, Manu Bennett
Release Date: 19th October 2007

You reach a point where no matter how good or bad the film is, you feel you’ve watched a sub genre to death. Back in 2002 I felt that way about Zombies, but Danny Boyle’s sensational 28 Days Later was a refreshing blast, and made me hunger once more for the cinematic outings of the undead.
I had the same feeling in my gut when I stood in line to see 30 Days Of Night, being a complete horror nut I pretty much felt this would offer me precious little in terms of originality, basically I’ve watched one Vampire movie to many.
So it was something of a surprise when I felt myself really enjoying 30 Days Of Night, whilst it isn’t on par with Boyle’s 2002 zombie resurrection, Hard Candy director David Slade has fashioned an enjoyable but most importantly fresh look at vampires.
The Story starts with the introduction of Eben Olsen (Josh Hartnett) who as the sheriff of a small Alasken town is preparing for the 30 days of night, or the month when this part of the world is forced into darkness. A series of crimes break out on the eve of the event including the murder of hundreds of sled dogs and a few key members of the town. The incidents are traced back to a stranger (Ben Foster) who seems to have come from nowhere with no apparent mode of transportation. He is arrested but warns Eben and his recently separated wife (Melissa George) that “they’re coming”
Sure enough a small army of vampires lead by Marlow (Danny Huston) cut of the towns power and begin to hunt out the people. Eben and the rest of the town are forced to hide out, but lasting the month is a tough task and one not everyone can manage.
As a horror movie 30 Days of Night is 100% pure perfection. The scary elements work perfectly, Danny Huston is a brilliant villain, the vampires are nasty guys, the setting is suitably tense and when the deaths occur they are jumpy and in most cases ultra gory. The problem is when the film strives to be more than a simple spook fest, director David Slade pushes his characters at times in frustrating directions and whilst this does help us “invest” in them a little more it slows an otherwise cracking story down.
This aspect is not aided all that well by the human performers, many of whom settle for cliche and generic characters. The material is well written so in particular Josh Hartnett’s performance border’s on inexcusable. He hands in the kind of wooden performance he does in 90% of productions where he stars, his personification of Eben is unoriginal, not downright awful but certainly very dull. Melissa George is a little better, it’s with her the audience engages most but she still feels a little similar to characters we’ve encountered before. Like Hartnett the turn isn’t offensive but audience members might feel a little bored with it.
Still the rest of the human cast despite no real character arcs are alot easier to feel for, and indeed come the end I would be fibbing if I didn’t admit to caring for even Hartnett and George. This is largely helped by the savage nature of these bloodsuckers, indeed Huston’s clan may be the nastiest vampires we’ve met since the first Blade movie. Huston himself is a bit of a revelation in the baddie role, he whispers and stares with such an unsettling demeanor that at times you get the shivers just looking at him. It’s odd seeing as Huston was largely quite boring in February’s The Number 23, but that was a weaker film and Huston seems to have risen with the material.
As the elusive stranger Ben Foster is pretty good, his character fades out before the first half but he gives the early part of the movie it’s shivers before Huston arrives. Some of his whisperings are fairly scary but he is essentially a small guy with grotty teeth so he only warms you up in terms of fear.
The action scenes are well staged in the dark and the effects are very convincing. Slade has clearly decided to go the gory road showing most of his attacks on camera. I would usually disregard this method but think with vampires it works quite well, after all the vampires I’m used to only give a quick nip on the neck. In this film they torture their victims and rip them to pieces, and when it’s neck biting time it’s not a quick suck, we’re shown geysers of blood and tattered throats.
The atmosphere both visual and in musical terms is fantastic, Slade showed a keen edge for style in Hard Candy but with this he really pushes the boat out. The arctic town we’re presented with is spooky even to look at, so When the Vampires emerge it feels like the ninth circle of hell.
I can only recommend this film to people (like me) who enjoy being scared and on the edge of their seat for long periods of time. If horror ain’t your thing then 30 Days of Night isn’t going to convert you to it’s ways. Still if around this time of year you want to be excited and scared I can think of precious little else in theatres that will get the job done as well as this