Josh Hartnett's Horror-Fueled Comic Book Movie Was A Box Office Hit That Critics Hated

Josh Hartnett has had his fair share of run-ins with otherworldly beings, and almost every encounter hasn't received the attention it deserved. Back in 1998, he appeared alongside "The Pitt's" Shawn Hatosy in one of the best alien-invasion movies ever made, "The Faculty," and in 2014, he starred in the grossly overlooked horror series, "Penny Dreadful," opposite Eva Green. In between those two horror outings, though, he took the lead in an exceptionally bloody and deeply terrifying vampire movie, "30 Days of Night."

Directed by David Slade and adapted from a comic book of the same name, Hartnett played Eben Oleson, the sheriff of the forgotten town of Barrow, Alaska, which every year is plunged into total darkness when the sun sets and doesn't rise for another 30 days. Living in such harsh conditions is bad enough, but to make matters worse, an unhinged stranger (Ben Foster) arrives in the town, sending Barrow into disarray just in time for his vampire masters to arrive for a month-long buffet, with all the locals on the menu.

Surprisingly, the film has gained mixed reviews from critics, earning only 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, even though it took an impressive bite out of the box office, earning $75 million against a budget of $30 million. But while the "30 Days of Night" might've had a few naysayers in its time, there's a lot on show from a competent director paying homage to another master of horror who has spent decades giving audiences the chills via more interplanetary means.

With its chilling atmosphere and grumpy, isolated inhabitants slowly being torn to shreds, it's hard not to feel "The Thing" lurking in its shadows while watching "30 Days of Night." John Carpenter's classic cult movie infects every frame, not just in the town's growing dread but in the monstrous ways the undead and those soon to be just plain dead are dispatched. Heads don't necessarily roll, but they take a long, ludicrously grim time to be separated from their bodies, echoing the horrors of Outpost 31.

Also, if the vampires weren't bad enough, something about their dead-eyed facial features looks incredibly off, which actor Danny Huston relishes as the head fanged fiend, Marlow. Another Carpenter favorite that the movie clearly draws on is his high-pressure thriller, "Assault on Precinct 13." Hartnett, joined by Melissa George (a scream queen in her own right) and "Sons of Anarchy" star Mark Boone Jr., are a motley crew hiding out against the horrors befalling their town, where no one is safe, just like Carpenter's 1976 film.

All of them play impressive roles in trying to turn the tide against their intruders, with particular praise going to Boone, who has a great showdown with the suckers while operating a tractor. Honestly, if you're thirsty for another vampire movie after the success of "Sinners," swap the sweat-soaked atmosphere of the Smoke Stack twins' juke joint for the chilling town of Barrow and kiss the sun goodbye.