The northernmost town in the United States is about to undergo its yearly ritual – 30 days without sunlight.

At a final sunset in Barrow, Alaska, Sheriff Eben Oleman (Josh Hartnett) is called to investigate the theft of mobile phones throughout the town.

Desperately trying to avoid his ex-wife in town, Stella (Melissa George), Eben soon finds more than a petty theft. All the husky dogs in town have been slain and slowly, every available escape is cut off. As the town is plunged into darkness and the sun sinks below the horizon, chaos ensues.

A group of violent men and women have started to pop up in Barrow, and all of them have white skin, closely slotted eyes and sharp fangs.

While unaware to these events, Eben comes to conflict with a stranger (Ben Foster), but the more Eben learns about this man, the more chilling things become. This stranger didn’t come in by plane nor does he live here. So how did he reach the incredibly desolate town of Barrow?

My first thought on the movie: Since when could Josh Hartnett act? He ruined “The Black Dahlia” with his constant “closing eyes” during dramatic moments. In “Lucky Number Slevin” he had all the personality of a sponge. Let’s not talk “Pearl Harbor.”

And here, a charming, crafted and intelligent performance from the most surprising of places.

Otherwise, all but one of the rest of the ensemble worked: Ben Foster.

Sadly, everything that worked in “3:10 to Yuma” only hindered the performance here. His obsessiveness and character acting was annoying rather than impressive. There is more to being creepy than slow sentences, no blinking and bad teeth.

Aside from acting, the strongest element of the movie is the story itself with its setting of Barrow, Alaska, and the concept of the ancient vampires who speak an unknown language.

But what works as a comic story becomes entertainment as a film. It’s one thing to read a foreign language; it’s another to entirely to hear it. And the “vampire speak” often became comical rather than terrifying. It’s a fine line between real and fantasy – and this movie often falters.

A warning to some: This film is very gory – big emphasis on gory. You could be overwhelmed by the level of violence, so if you have a sensitive disposition, I’d suggest passing on this one.

Best scene: As the vampires descend upon the helpless town of Barrow, Alaska, all hell breaks loose. As the police desperately try to figure out what is going on, carnage rages through the populous. People run screaming through the bleak snow, which is now crimson red from all the victims. The vicious efficiency of the vampire warriors is powerful and surprisingly chilling.

Overall: Not the greatest vampire movie ever made but definitely not the worst. A bleak and excessively gory tale, bringing vampires back to the screen. Hit or miss in its success, but entertaining nonetheless with recognition to Josh Hartnett and an emotionally cliche-free score by Brian Reitzel.