30 Days of Night

The winter and snow favor the chilling atmosphere, and the cut-off city at the literal end of the world offers some surprises, but when it comes to the creatures of the night, the percentage of interest begins to dangerously decrease. Vampires are not vampires, but a pack of hungry zombies, clichés with suddenly agitated survivors get on your nerves, and even uncompromising bloodthirstiness eventually becomes almost annoying. The weak third star is saved for the town of Barrow by the likable central duo and a surprisingly stylish ending. (23/10/2010)

I've always been terribly sceptical of vampire horror movies, and I can't recall a single one that has captivated me in any significant way. 30 Days of Night is the exception that proves the rule. What I mean by this is that if a good director and producer come together, concoct a spectacular and imaginative story, and surround everything with the tried and tested setting of a peaceful Nordic town, even an almost empty genre barrel can yield a great load of modern horror action. The film is not without a few unavoidable clichés and some scenes feel like a reunion with an old friend with a penchant for brutal violence, but otherwise David Slade has handled the premise really masterfully and this is definitely not a routine B-movie. Most of the credit, however, goes to the hideously looking vampires, who are truly frightening and probably one of the most successful horror villains since Snyder's Dawn of the Dead. The great romantic ending just underscores everything... 80% (02/09/2012)

I liked Hard Candy, but 30 Days of Night almost took my breath away. Why almost? Because the ending was not very believable and the last scene doesn’t fit the film at all. But I have no complaints about the first half: perfect atmosphere, terrifying vampires, effective jump-scares, sharp axe… One of the best horror films of the year and a well deserved 85%. (24/12/2007)

"30 Days of Night" is a film that captivated me with its intimate atmosphere, a relatively simple yet powerfully developed story, and scenes that have engraved themselves in my memory. It doesn't matter how many times you see a similarly terrifying little girl, it always gets to you. At least that's how it works for me. Within the realm of action horror movies, this film consistently stands out as exceptional, thanks in part to its genuine ability to be considered a horror film. (25/06/2014)

It was the tenth of January, just about the time most folks are learning to live comfortably with all the New Year's resolutions they broke, and there was one hell of a northeaster blowing outside. Six inches had come down before dark and it had been going hard and heavy since then... Thus begins King's phenomenal vampire story One for the Road. And why am I quoting it? Because it fully captures the atmosphere that abounds in Thirty Days of Night. In the first few shots. Slade made it quite raw and atmospheric. Moreover, the Saw-like cheapness in terms of the violence depicted is simple and all the more impressive because of it. It looks good and the whole introduction until the city is taken over (the bird's eye view scenes - you will understand when you see it) is absolutely perfect. But after that, the creators are no longer able to resist the shortcomings that stem from the mediocre comic book source, which managed to attract attention perhaps only because of its unconventional imagery. These are mainly plot faux-pas: excessive abbreviation, inconsistency of fragmented narration, and utter ignorance of the psychological impact of the situation on individual characters. The closer the movie draws to the end, the lower down the ladder the quality becomes. The only thing keeping it within the bounds of a decent film, are Josh Harnett and Slade's efforts to embellish it with some juicy scenes here and there. Overall, it is undoubtedly a solid achievement, which benefits quite a bit from the fact that we haven’t seen anything this in a long time. As much as Thirty looks alright, and is enjoyable in its own way, it cannot escape the stigma of simplicity and the dull mediocrity of the comic book despite all its efforts... (01/11/2007)