30 Days of Night – DVD Movie Review

Based on the Graphic Novel by Steve Niles; Starring Josh Hartnett

Aug 8, 2009

A group of bloodthirsty vampires descend upon the town of Barrow, which has been plunged into darkness; feeding upon its inhabitants.

Josh Hartnett (Sin City, 40 Days and 40 Nights) and Melissa George (The Amityville Horror) star in this terrifying vampire flick based on the graphic novel by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith and directed by David Slade.

30 Days of Night Overview

In the icy town of Barrow, Alaska, residents must endure 30 consecutive days of night each year. This year, a group of savage vampires take over the town once it has plunged into darkness and feed on all who live there.

Sheriff Eben Oleson (Hartnett) and his estranged wife Stella (George) battle to survive and protect a small group of fellow survivors who hide out in the attic of a partially boarded up house.

30 Days of Night Review

The story begins with some residents organizing to leave town for the month as well as several peculiar events that Sheriff Eben has to deal with, and doesn’t take too long before the vampire action begins. There is a good build up and the setting is cold, miserable and scary once the sun sets.

This movie is graphic and scary and viewers will be faced with scenes featuring huge amounts of blood splattered all over the snow, which depicts the horror that this small town endures. The vampires lack the sex appeal of traditional Hollywood vampires. These vampires are bloodthirsty monsters, unattractive, incredibly fast and sporting razor sharp teeth that can rip a human throat out in seconds.

While 30 Days of Night is true to the graphic novel, it isn’t simply a direct copy of the comic’s pages. The movie characters have a lot more depth then those in the novel, although the only real character development is with Eben and Stella and vampire leader Marlow. Viewers will sympathize with Eben and Stella and be terrified of Marlow.

The rest of the characters are secondary and don’t get a great deal of development as many are killed off quickly. Hartnett does well in the role of Eben, the man who takes responsibility of the whole town in his own hands, and George nails her part as the likeable estranged wife Stella. Huston's portrayal of vicious vampire leader Marlow is excellent. Viewers will wince whenever a survivor makes the slightest noise and find the vampires truly terrifying. A great adaptation from the graphic novel, ones that even fans of the comic will enjoy.

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