Film Review: 30 Days of Night (2007)
Some high concepts appear more enticing on paper than they do on screen, a case in point being the comic book author Steve Niles whose initial film screenplay pitch was rejected, only to be transformed in 2002 into a comic book miniseries 30 Days of Night, co-authored with Australian illustrator Brian Templeton. The comic book finally caught the attention of producers, namely Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert, resulting in a 2007 film 30 Days of Night, one of the more intriguing works of the horror genre.
The plot is set in Barrow, Alaska, a town above the Arctic circle where locals experience long periods of midnight sun in the summer, as well as month-long periods of night. Some inhabitants leave, but those who stay soon learn that they should have followed their example. Eben Oleson (played by Josh Hartnett), the town's sheriff, investigates the series of baffling and frightening incidents and also has to deal with his estranged wife Stella (played by Melissa George) who missed the last plane out and now has to spend a month in town. It transpires that the Barrow has been besieged by a group of vicious vampires, led by Marlow (played by Danny Huston) who use the complete lack of daylight and the town's isolation to feed on the inhabitants.
30 Days of Night has a brilliant premise that uses the vampires' Hollywood lore to create an extremely violent and frightening survival story. The main problem with the film, as with so many Hollywood films, is that the authors don't know what to actually do with it, so the premise is executed in an unsatisfactory manner.
Director David Slade, who would later revisit the theme of vampirism in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, is aware that the film must be dark, both literally and allegorically. The violence is extreme, and to the filmmakers' credit, the vampires with their strangely dark eyes and use of their own click-based language seem more frightening than in similar films. The vampires in Barrow are so alien that 30 Days of Night at times looks more like a zombie than vampire film.
However, it is precisely this that makes 30 Days of Night look like a cheap copy of much better zombie apocalypse films. Slade doesn't help with jerky camera moves that are supposed to make the extensive bloodshed and gore somewhat more palatable to censors, but it is the script that disappoints, making a handful of human protagonists somehow survive almost a month in a small town that is overrun by clearly superior, motivated, and persistent adversaries. By the end, all the violence becomes repetitive and predictable, and the film suffers from serious pacing issues that make it look overlong.
On the other hand, 30 Days of Night benefits from a great atmosphere and some decent acting, although Josh Hartnett, despite all his efforts, appears bland. Danny Huston is more memorable as his inhuman adversary.
Despite mostly negative critics, 30 Days of Night had decent results at the box office and even spawned what could be seen as a franchise. Its premiere coincided with a 2007 television miniseries 30 Days of Night: Blood Trails, followed by another miniseries 30 Days of Night: Dust to Dust, aired in 2008. In 2010, Slade's film received a direct-to-DVD sequel titled 30 Days of Night: Dark Days.
30 Days of Night presents an engaging yet flawed exploration of horror through its unique setting and premise. The film's commitment to portraying vampires as savage predators distinguishes it within a genre often dominated by romanticised interpretations. Despite its imperfections, 30 Days of Night remains noteworthy for horror enthusiasts seeking something different within vampire narratives.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
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