19. 30 Days of Night (2007)
Columbia PicturesDavid Slade took the blueprint from the three-issue miniseries of the same name and delivered a stripped-back vampire movie that makes great use of the central premise in creating a tense, mature R-rated horror that offered a refreshing alternative to the increasing sanitization of the cinematic bloodsucker. Although 30 Days of Night takes itself far too seriously and could really do with a little more levity, the isolated setting and increasing sense of foreboding result in an atmospheric genre flick that boasts some great cinematography and special effects. Ben Foster steals the movie in an unnervingly creepy supporting role, Danny Huston's vampire leader is a menacing presence and the usually-bland Josh Hartnett delivers a surprisingly strong central performance. Not the greatest vampire movie by any means, but an effective action/horror/thriller hybrid that has no problem finishing on a downer.