By Ryan Broderick

Claustrophobic, xenophobic, brutally terrifying and hopeless: everything a horror movie should be. Few movies can juggle that many phobias and be a solid film at the same time.

“30 Days Of Night,” starring Josh Harnett and Melissa George comes pretty close. The movie plays out like a sick joke. First comes the set-up: a small Alaskan town has an entire month of night. Then there’s the punchline: vampires find out and blood runs in the streets.

After the first 20 minutes of set-up, the rest of the movie is just gory, horrific insanity. Writers Steve Niles and Stuart Beattie play with everything that could go wrong while director David Slade lets the audience look on in terrified disbelief. Some scenes are so strong and so tragically put together it is almost poetic.

Many of the film’s power falls on the shoulders of the actors. As Eben Oleson, Josh Harnett isn’t an obvious choice in terms of the plot. However, he delivers a strong, believable and ultimately lovable performance. Melissa George plays his estranged wife Stella. Viewers want so badly for the two to work things out that it’s palpable.

What makes “30 Days Of Night” stand out is the fact it’s not just a horror movie. It’s a heart-wrenching story of survival and the characters are fleshed out and relatable. The audience wants characters to live more than to see them die-a feat in itself these days.

Problems with pacing and flat acting on the part of the townspeople are the only real blemishes on the movie. The timing is slightly inconsistent and the audience doesn’t really get a good idea of how long the story is actually taking. Every once in a while, the score gets a little loud and takes away the humanity of what’s happening.

Acting as the perfect backdrop for the mayhem the beautiful scenery stood out throughout. One will catch himself stepping out of the movie every now and then just to appreciate how everything looks.

“30 Days Of Night” is a heart-pounding, frantic and overall terrifying masterpiece, Once it starts, it doesn’t stop until sunrise. It has shortcomings but it’s ultimately a new take on vampires. Prospective viewers should be warned that this horror film is not for everyone, but for those interested, it’s a wonderful treat.

In “30 Days of Night,” actors Manu Bennett, Melissa George and Josh Hartnett struggle to survive in Barrow, Alaska where they must hide from bloodthirsty vampires who have invaded their town. (allmoviephoto.com)