One thing I enjoy is movies based on comic books, given that I do read comics. Kind of a no brainer. I also like horror films, so getting a mix of the two is a bit of a done deal for me. 30 Days of Night is one such film, and thankfully falls into the category of comic book-based films that are good.
The film is based on the graphic novel written by Steven Niles and illustrated by Ben Templesmith, which some say helped revive the horror comics genre. Set in the town of Barrow, Alaska, the story takes place when the area is entering the time of year where, due to their location, the sun sets and is not seen again for thirty days straight. But right before that final sunset, a series of bizarre crimes occur satellite phones are found destroyed, and dogs are found slaughtered. And a bizarre stranger causing trouble is arrested, spouting words of doom that seem like crazy talk. But it turns out to be anything but talk, as a group of vampires descend upon Barrow to take advantage of the month-long period of night to feast on the blood of the remaining inhabitants. Now a small group of survivors, including Sheriff Eben Oleson and his estranged wife, Stella, must struggle to hide and survive until the sun comes back up.
This has to be, without a doubt, one of the most original ideas for a vampire story ever done. Why wouldn't a group of bloodsuckers take advantage of not only a small town's far-out-of-the-way location, but also of the month-long period of darkness where they can run free and kill without having to watch for sunrise? You could say its one of those stories where you're surprised no one else thought of it before. Original writer Niles pulled it off quite well in his original comic, and manages to do it again for the screen version. All the great elements of horror are there, from the emotional drama of the surviving humans trying to hide and survive to the shock moments when the vampires show up when you least expect them.
One great new twist is the relationship between Eben and Stella, played by Josh Hartnett and Melissa George, respectively. The film has them separated and forced to be in the same place together when Stella misses her flight out of town before the sun sets. This helps add to the dramatic tension, as they go from not willing to speak to each other to realizing how much they still for one another as things start going to hell. Every good story, horror or otherwise, needs an element like this, and 30 Days of Night pulls it off quite well.
But probably the best element of the movie is, of course, the vampires. These guys aren't the suave, sophisticated types you'd find in Dracula or an Anne Rice novel. These guys are real monsters, killing without remorse and even toying with the townsfolk at certain points. They don't even bother to look human, being all pale with their fangs and claws out for all to see and even letting their faces remaining covered with blood after feasting. They don't even bother speaking in English throughout the whole film, which is clever as it shows their contempt for humanity. Differences from classic vamps aside, there is a reference to Dracula in terms of the stranger who appears and, no surprise, turns to be helping the vampires in hopes of being rewarded, but what good vampire tale doesn't have an homage or two to the greatest one of them all?
All in all, this is a great film, one to enjoy for both comic fans and horror fans. And if you're both like me, all the more better.
