Why 30 Days of Night works

Okay, before I start I also want to say that 1) I'm not a movie critic, just someone who has seen many of movies, some good some bad, 2) I'm going to throw out some spoilers so if you haven't seen 30 Days of Night (and are planning to see it) stop now and come back after you have seen it and read our opinions.



All in all, I liked 30 Days of Night. This wasn't an Oscar winning effort by the director or the actors but it was solid storytelling with an interesting plot and enough scary moments and gore to keep you enthralled.



For those that don't know the story, in Barrow, Alaska the sun sets for 30 days, no sunlight whatsoever. This makes it the perfect location for a band of vampires and the backdrop for our story. One of the vampires actually remarks that they should have come there ages ago.



The vampires attack and the townspeople who are not killed in the initial slaughter have to hide for 30 days and wait for the sun while trying to fend off the vampires. These vampires are different from your traditional vampires, they don't seem to be averse to garlic (nobody tries to expose them to it), religious symbols (same thing), or entering a residence that they have not been invited to. This adds a great deal of tension as the traditional defenses against vampires don't work. I spent the better part of the movie wondering "How are they going to get out of this?"



That's probably why I liked the movie, I felt the fear that the survivors felt as they were hold-up in an attic waiting to: 1) be found by the vampires and be food or 2) sunlight. The claustrophobic feel left me shivering along with the characters as they dealt with the fear and the cold. In short, I identified with them.



30 Days of Night has some pacing issues and logistical problems. Though the survivors are hold up in an attic for 30 days without a shower, shave, and rationing their food, nobody seems have lost weight or grown facial hair. But the vampires are terrifying, I had nightmares last night and still see them when I close my eyes.



One more thing, 30 Days of Night is perhaps the goriest, most violent movie I have seen in a long time and quite possibly the goriest vampire movie ever (along with From Dusk Till Dawn). So if that's your cup of tea, you'll like it. If you like your gore understated (think Seven) then you may find this movie jarring. There was so much violence that my wife almost had to leave the theatre.



I couldn't, I wanted to see how they were going to beat those damn vampires.