Reviewed by Caleb Starrenburg

Watching Night Watch (Nochnoy Dozor) is a little like descending into a vodka-induced haze. Actually, I’m not sure that it is, but I thought it necessary to preface any review of contemporary Russian film with clichéd reference to vodka.

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov and based on the novels by Sergei Lukyanenko, Night Watch concerns an ancient battle between the forces of good and evil. As the film’s prologue explains (curiously narrated in English; the rest of the film is subtitled), in the world there are humans and ‘Others’. Others, who can pass as humans, possess all sorts of crazy supernatural powers. The Others are divided between those serving the dark and those who follow the light.


Many years ago the two sides fought each other to a standstill, eventually establishing a truce in which they agreed get along, while leaving the humans alone. A supernatural cold war if you like. There it is, my second and hopefully final obligatory Russian-themed cliché. To ensure the truce is kept, each side patrols the human world, the Dark Others on the Day Watch and the Light Others on the Night Watch.

And then there’s the film’s plot, which involves the appearance of Anton (Konstantin Khabensky), an aborted abortion, a cursed owl, crows, an out of control jet, angry vampires and a prophecy about an Other who will tip the balance between light and dark.

Despite its convoluted narrative, the film is in fact pretty standard apocalyptic fair. It is, perhaps, far more ambiguous in its treatment of good and evil than anything similar coming out of Hollywood at the moment (which might also account for Night Watch’s outstanding success in Russia?)

However, while it might not necessarily cover new ground thematically, Bekmambetov imbues Night Watch with enough kinetic energy and visual flourishes to create a fresh vision of the contemporary vampire genre. His experience as a Kazakhstan television commercial and music video director certainly shines through; while Hollywood slick, the film is uniquely steeped in unsettling social realism.

Considering Night Watch was shot, reportedly, for only several million dollars, it certainly looks striking. Unlike the cumbersome and intensely dull King Kong, which I finally watched several nights ago, Night Watch uses special effects sparingly but effectively, and most often for good reason.

Although heavy on exposition, the film’s pacing is excellent, even if at times I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. The final act may seem a little rushed, although it clearly paves the way for its successor.

Ultimately, it is difficult to judge Night Watch on its own, as it is clearly one part of a much larger puzzle. We will probably have to wait until the second and third instalments are completed before a verdict is possible. All I know right now is I walked out of the theatre with a strong desire to see the sequel.