Night Watch is quite possibly the coolest vampire movie of the decade… yet, we never see a single neck bitten, no one wears a cape, and crucifixes and garlic are nowhere to be found.

This Russian horror movie, the most successful-ever in its 2004 homeland release, is based on the first in a trilogy of novels about supernatural beings called Others. Others are usually vampires, but the occasional shape-shifter or witch can be found in the ranks. For centuries, there has been an uneasy truce among the two types of supernatural beings who live among us — Light Others and Dark Others. It's sort of a supernatural Cold War, with everyone on both sides just waiting for the facade to crack.

Anton Gorodetsky (Konstantin Khabensky) grew up in Moscow, never knowing of his true heritage until one day a fateful meeting with a witch changes everything. He goes to her wanting a spell to punish his cheating girlfriend — he believe she's pregnant with another man's baby — and comes away with much more than he bargained for. Now a soldier for the Light Others, Anton hunts errant vampires who break the truce and try to feed on unsuspecting mortals.

Night Watch is an epic along the lines of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Excalibur or The Matrix, but it's the first of its kind for horror fans. The drab, dank setting of the Soviet Union is hardly Transylvania-romantic, but it adds a lot to the film (as does the native language, subtitled with the coolest, quirkiest captions you will ever see this side of Man on Fire). The special effects are also outstanding — interestingly enough, several fx houses took bits and pieces of the film to work on, each to their own — and rather than distracting, they help incorporate all the gob-smacking fight- and chase-scenes.

The action sequences in Night Watch are kick-ass, but it's the classic story of good vs. evil that resonates the strongest. Khabensky carries the film extremely well, while the supporting cast stands nicely on their own. The Light Others Anton works with include shape-shifters Bear and Tiger-Cub, the Sorceress Olga, and their stoic boss who keeps track of all the Dark Others and maintains a reference library of all the world's myths.

Anton's epic journey into true evil begins when he accidentally kills a male vampire while fighting to keep the creature from feasting on an innocent young boy. The 12 year old, Yegor (Dmitry Martynov), escapes with his life, but the vampire's girlfriend isn't willing to let the matter drop. Here begins a surrealistic journey in and out of The Gloom, an extremely dangerous alternate dimension where mosquitoes buzz, spider-dolls dance, and bloodsuckers rule.

Resourceful and talented director Timur Bekmambetov's background in commercials and rock videos shows — the flick moves at breakneck pace, in your face — but he also does a good job with developing the characters and back story. The witty, cynical dialogue feels authentically Russian, but it's relatable to anyone. The electronica soundtrack is mostly appropriate, except for the incongruous inclusion of The Bravery's "Fearless" at the end credits.

Day Watch is in the can, and Dusk Watch is on the horizon — treat yourself to this, the first in the trilogy, when it opens in U.S. theaters on the 17th  (limited, but it's going wide the following Friday). It's so nice, you'll want to see it twice.

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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson

(Review originally published 2/10/06)