30 Days of Night 3.5/5 reviewed by Mike
I know I'm the Crew's resident comic book nerd, but, alas, I have failed you all. I have not actually read the graphic novel "30 Days of Night," which this movie is based on. It makes it even more sad knowing that I'm such a fan of artist Ben Templesmith's other work. But enough of my failings--this movie is not a failure at all, not by a longshot.
Steve Niles, writer of the "30 Days" comic and it's spinoffs, co-wrote the script for this movie himself, which should say something about clarity of vision, but since I haven't read the comic, who am I to judge? In any case, the story is about the small town of Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost town in the United States. Due to that pesky tilt in the Earth's axis, once a year, this town is plunged into perpetual nighttime for 30 days. Of course, no sun means Vampires can endure 24-7, which they do. How will Josh Hartnett and his ragtag band of survivors face the horrors of a Vampire gang when no sunlight is in store for a month?
As cheesy as you make the premise sound, this movie is as far from cheesy as it gets. In fact, this is one of the most chilling films I've seen in recent memory. The Vampires are quick, brutal, and utterly terrifying. This ain't your parent's Bela Lugosi, these are pale faced, blood stained, serrated teeth sporting monsters from the pit of hell who communicate in the most gutteral and bone-chilling screams you've ever heard in your life. While the first few deaths are the normal "horror movie" kind (whos there--whats that behind the camera--don't turn around--oh! ah...), the movie quickly turns into something more akin to a war film as the monsters take the town with ruthless force. There's a long tracking overhead shot at one point, just going through the town as dozens of civillians run terrified form dozens of vampires, sometimes crossing paths. The music fades to silence, and you feel your heart drop into your gut, partly from sheer terror, but mostly from the profound sense of loss. The only other horror movie to make me feel this way was 28 Days Later.
The rest of the film focuses on a small group of survivors that grows smaller by the day, and their efforts to last the month until the sun comes out. Along the way are more than a few encounters that may or may not give you nightmares. I'll never forget the swing-set scene. Never ever. What I like is how there's never a need to explain anything--there's only one line of dialog that hints at the history of the Vampires, and thats how it should be. These monsters come out of the cold Alaskan fog and no one where where or why, and that only strengthens the terror.
Lets talk craft: the landscapes are amazing. I was sold from the first frame. Everything fades into white snow-laced fog, and the town seems to exist independent of reality, totally isolated from the rest of existence by the harsh Alaskan landscape. I don't think you ever see the edge of any building, everything's always being swallowed up by fog, which creates the perfect mood for this story. Sound effects were a little over the top at times (large bass hits when something creeps in front of the camera get annoying after a while, but do make you jump) but the screams of the Vampires, the make up effects... all are top notch and creepy as hell. The music is great also, and is always exactly what it should be.
There's a few things that bugged me, though. A lack of characterization is one. Although you care about the characters a lot more than, say, a "Saw" movie, some extra time spent characterizing these people would have really helped. What also doesn't help was the few moments of ridiculousness. The "oh, let's talk about our relationship in the midst of death... seeing my friends get mauled makes me feel romantic" moments. Those moments are few and far between, but you'll roll your eyes once or twice. Also, I felt like Hartnett really phoned this in. His performance is pretty... stock. He looks and sounds like an actor workshopping his lines, he never seems to embody a character. Although I've certainly seen worse acting out there, it did cut into the believability the rest of the film worked so hard to create.
The real reason this movie isn't a 4: It's lacking in thematic material. It's a great horror story, but it's not really ABOUT anything. In a very loose way it's about family (kindof) but mostly, it's just a good Vampire story, devoid of any sort of artistic statement.
If you're a horror fan, this is a must-see. If you're in that Halloween mood, this is a great film to go get good and scared by. It's great to finally see Vampires treated well. Most Vampire movies are strongly forgettable, but this one delivers the scares in spades. Just don't set your expectations too high.
See This Movie If:
-You like films like: 28 Days Later, The Descent, etc.
-You don't like slahser flicks--although this is very VERY gory, it's not torture-porn
-You like scary movies, vampire movies, etc. in general. This might become a favorite of the genre, just as the comic has.
-Your name is Corey
Don't See This Movie If:
-You're under 17. Most violence and gore EVER. I'm not kidding.
-You scare real easily
-You really don't like the genre. Although I think might change your mind about it.
Steve Niles, writer of the "30 Days" comic and it's spinoffs, co-wrote the script for this movie himself, which should say something about clarity of vision, but since I haven't read the comic, who am I to judge? In any case, the story is about the small town of Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost town in the United States. Due to that pesky tilt in the Earth's axis, once a year, this town is plunged into perpetual nighttime for 30 days. Of course, no sun means Vampires can endure 24-7, which they do. How will Josh Hartnett and his ragtag band of survivors face the horrors of a Vampire gang when no sunlight is in store for a month?
As cheesy as you make the premise sound, this movie is as far from cheesy as it gets. In fact, this is one of the most chilling films I've seen in recent memory. The Vampires are quick, brutal, and utterly terrifying. This ain't your parent's Bela Lugosi, these are pale faced, blood stained, serrated teeth sporting monsters from the pit of hell who communicate in the most gutteral and bone-chilling screams you've ever heard in your life. While the first few deaths are the normal "horror movie" kind (whos there--whats that behind the camera--don't turn around--oh! ah...), the movie quickly turns into something more akin to a war film as the monsters take the town with ruthless force. There's a long tracking overhead shot at one point, just going through the town as dozens of civillians run terrified form dozens of vampires, sometimes crossing paths. The music fades to silence, and you feel your heart drop into your gut, partly from sheer terror, but mostly from the profound sense of loss. The only other horror movie to make me feel this way was 28 Days Later.
The rest of the film focuses on a small group of survivors that grows smaller by the day, and their efforts to last the month until the sun comes out. Along the way are more than a few encounters that may or may not give you nightmares. I'll never forget the swing-set scene. Never ever. What I like is how there's never a need to explain anything--there's only one line of dialog that hints at the history of the Vampires, and thats how it should be. These monsters come out of the cold Alaskan fog and no one where where or why, and that only strengthens the terror.
Lets talk craft: the landscapes are amazing. I was sold from the first frame. Everything fades into white snow-laced fog, and the town seems to exist independent of reality, totally isolated from the rest of existence by the harsh Alaskan landscape. I don't think you ever see the edge of any building, everything's always being swallowed up by fog, which creates the perfect mood for this story. Sound effects were a little over the top at times (large bass hits when something creeps in front of the camera get annoying after a while, but do make you jump) but the screams of the Vampires, the make up effects... all are top notch and creepy as hell. The music is great also, and is always exactly what it should be.
There's a few things that bugged me, though. A lack of characterization is one. Although you care about the characters a lot more than, say, a "Saw" movie, some extra time spent characterizing these people would have really helped. What also doesn't help was the few moments of ridiculousness. The "oh, let's talk about our relationship in the midst of death... seeing my friends get mauled makes me feel romantic" moments. Those moments are few and far between, but you'll roll your eyes once or twice. Also, I felt like Hartnett really phoned this in. His performance is pretty... stock. He looks and sounds like an actor workshopping his lines, he never seems to embody a character. Although I've certainly seen worse acting out there, it did cut into the believability the rest of the film worked so hard to create.
The real reason this movie isn't a 4: It's lacking in thematic material. It's a great horror story, but it's not really ABOUT anything. In a very loose way it's about family (kindof) but mostly, it's just a good Vampire story, devoid of any sort of artistic statement.
If you're a horror fan, this is a must-see. If you're in that Halloween mood, this is a great film to go get good and scared by. It's great to finally see Vampires treated well. Most Vampire movies are strongly forgettable, but this one delivers the scares in spades. Just don't set your expectations too high.
See This Movie If:
-You like films like: 28 Days Later, The Descent, etc.
-You don't like slahser flicks--although this is very VERY gory, it's not torture-porn
-You like scary movies, vampire movies, etc. in general. This might become a favorite of the genre, just as the comic has.
-Your name is Corey
Don't See This Movie If:
-You're under 17. Most violence and gore EVER. I'm not kidding.
-You scare real easily
-You really don't like the genre. Although I think might change your mind about it.
posted by Hankinstien at 8:12 PM
1 comments
