Fridae

Coming all the way from Russia, this slick horror flick is the
biggest Russian box-office hit of all time. But if you're expecting
a unique and extraordinary scarefest that will blow your mind, you'd
be disappointed.

Yes, Night Watch is a very watchable genre film. Considering
that it was made for the Russian equivalent of US$5 million, its
production values and special effects are impressive. But conceptually,
the story does rehash some popular ideas about the battle between
good and evil.

Set in Moscow, Night Watch shows a world that is populated
by ordinary human beings and the Others. The Others are anything
from witches and seers, to beasts and vampires. But they take on
humans forms, walking around us in normal clothes and dark shades
(very Matrix, very Underworld), such that we are
not aware that they live among us. For years, they have co-existed
peacefully with humans and with themselves, but something happens
that upsets the balance, prompting an all-out war between good and
evil.

Director Timur Bekmambetov is good at generating dread. All his
settings are beautifully dark and bleak, and his creation of this
other world that exists right under your nose is very believable.
A must-watch for horror fans, a maybe-watch for everyone else.