Critics Scoreboard
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Average Critic Score:
53
(29 sources)
53
(29 sources)
-
80
Film Threat
Decent vampire movies are few and far between, and I'm having a hard time remembering a recent one that impressed me like 30 Days of Night. Read Full Review » -
80
Empire
This slick and sticky horror is the most accomplished treatment of vampire lore since Near Dark. Read Full Review » -
75
ReelViews
Works on its own terms, which is more than can be said of most horror films these days. If this is the kind of movie you're looking for, it delivers. Read Full Review » -
75
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75
-
75
-
75
USA Today
It loses some of its bite by film's end, but 30 Days of Night manages to do for the vampire genre what "28 Days Later" did for the zombie flick: give age-old monsters a modern-day makeover. Read Full Review » -
70
Washington Post
Directed by David Slade ("Hard Candy"), the action scenes are artful and terrifying; these killers move so quickly and decisively, there seems to be no hope for humanity. Read Full Review » -
67
Austin Chronicle
These days, it's dark everywhere. Which makes Slade's wild, often exhilarating neo-Western ride into frostbit vampirism something of a respite, albeit one awash gore. Read Full Review » -
67
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Which is more interesting: Vampires fighting over the potential long-term blowback of their Alaskan buffet, or a couple of exes bonding under duress? Seems like an easy decision, but 30 Days Of Night makes the wrong choice. Read Full Review » -
63
TV Guide
Mark Boone Jr. makes a vivid impression as eccentric loner Beau Brower, and Danny Huston is mesmerizing as the leader of the shrieking, slashing, wallowing-in-gore bloodsuckers. They effortlessly eclipse the rest of the cast. Read Full Review » -
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Like most kiddies games, this one starts out fun and then gets tired. Inevitably, that's when Slade tries to revive our interest by upping the gore quotient. Read Full Review » -
63
Chicago Sun-Times
It is well-made, well-photographed and plausibly acted, and is better than it needs to be. Read Full Review » -
63
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63
Boston Globe
A proficient, atmospheric fangfest that does nothing you haven't seen before but still does it passably well. Read Full Review » -
63
Miami Herald
Based on a graphic novel, 30 Days of Night opens with a premise so promising it seems almost impossible to screw up. Read Full Review » -
60
New York Magazine
Danny Huston is screamingly funny as the alternately finicky and savage Head Ghoul--he's like something spewed forth from the bowels of the Politburo. The problem is structural. Read Full Review » -
58
Baltimore Sun
It's seductive in its buildup but overall as subtle and, alas, as humorless as a hatchet to the brain. Read Full Review » -
58
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
With such a good concept for a vampire movie, it's hard to believe it turned out to be this boring. Read Full Review » -
50
Variety
Excels at bloodthirsty action, though dialogue and human-interest aspects are a tad anemic. Result is a mixed bag but has a catchy premise and quite enough splatter to satisfy gorehounds. Read Full Review » -
50
Chicago Tribune
Nearly two hours long, 30 Days of Night makes you feel the cold (though it was shot in New Zealand) and feel the fangs, but it also makes you feel like 30 days is a pretty long time. Read Full Review » -
50
Village Voice
Director David Slade's stab at the story is actually rather ordinary. Read Full Review » -
50
Chicago Reader
Forget about a stake through the heart: sheriff Josh Hartnett discovers that decapitation is the best way to stop the bloodsuckers, who suggest feral, steroid-crazed gymnasts as they scale buildings and leap onto moving vehicles. Read Full Review » -
40
Los Angeles Times
The movie thus moves from truly creepy to truly inane, which is, unfortunately, all too common in films of this ilk. Read Full Review » -
40
The Hollywood Reporter
Dramatically, the film is a shambles, with whiplash-inducing lurches in tone and pacing that make it seem as if portions were edited out of sequence. Read Full Review » -
38
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30
The New York Times
The performers have little to do besides spill and drink blood in this tedious, inconsequential B picture. The sun doesn't rise nearly fast enough. Read Full Review » -
25
New York Post
The movie approaches the final scene with a straight face, but it left the audience giggling spasmodically. This script probably should have gone all the way and thrown in a few quips: If your movie is a joke, at least be intentionally funny. Read Full Review » -
25
Entertainment Weekly
You can expect a lot of shredding and gurgling. 30 Days of Night is relentless, but it's also relentlessly one-note. Read Full Review »
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