Director David Slade makes the transition well from a lackluster background in videos and 2005's comedy Hard Candy to this eye-popping vampire flick based on Steve Niles' graphic novel. As the northernmost Alaskan town of Barrow prepares for thirty days of night, a lone stranger (Ben Foster) wanders into town from a ship to cut the residents off from the outside world in preparation for a vampire invasion. When the vampires arrive, they systematically go house to house feasting on the residents in a bloody frenzy. Sheriff Eben Oleson (Josh Hartnett) and his ex-wife, Stella (Melissa George), along with Eben's younger brother and a few other townspeople try to stay a step ahead of the bloodthirsty ghouls as they wait for the sun to return. 30 Days of Night does a great job building suspense and creating terror. We share the frightening experience through the eyes of the townspeople; and the camera work only heightens that experience, especially with some great aerial views of the rampage. Ben Foster does a great job as the vampire leader's familiar, reminding me of the kind of creepy, mysterious, stranger you might find in a Stephen King story. The plot moves along well with plenty of action and a few well-placed surprises to keep you guessing. These vampires are not pretty to look at, adding to the scare value, and they don't speak English, which gives them more authenticity, as is the intention. 30 Days of Night is one of the best vampire films to come along in a while—imagine a "gang" of Nosferatus. If you want your vampires with a cutting edge, see 30 Days of Night.