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Combine John Carpenter’s The Thing with Kathryn Bigelow’s Near Dark, and you might get something like 30 Days Of Night, David Slade’s second major feature, his first being Hard Candy, starring Ellen Page. 30 Days Of Night is set in Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost town in the United States, a town that is besieged by some of the scariest vampires in horror cinema history. Barrow turns out to be a perfect feeding ground for them, as they can hunt night and day without fear of sunlight, which can kill them. The few residents that have stayed for the month of darkness, led by Josh Harnett and Melissa George, the sheriff and his estranged wife, respectively, have to struggle to survive. For once, here is a Hollywood horror film that’s actually horrifying, scary and suspenseful. It’s also frequently visually dazzling, and convincingly acted by a first rate cast. Only the finale is a bit of a letdown, but the final images are haunting. Viewers sensitive to gore will probably want to avoid 30 Days Of Night, but for fans of horror especially, this will be a must see.

MONKEY RATING: ONE (VAMPIRE) MONKEY

(For a brief explanation of the Monkey Review rating system, click here.)