In the 2007 film 30 Days of Night, the town of Barrow is in Alaska. The story uses the remote Alaskan setting to create its central horror premise: during the far-northern winter, the community experiences a prolonged period without a normal sunrise, leaving it vulnerable to vampires.
The film is based on the 2002 comic-book miniseries by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith. Director David Slade’s adaptation stars Josh Hartnett as sheriff Eben Oleson and Melissa George as Stella Oleson. Although the fictional town is called Barrow, the real community officially changed its name to Utqiagvik in 2016; “Barrow” remains the name used in the film and in the original story.
The town’s polar-night premise is rooted in real Arctic geography, although the movie exaggerates the danger and duration for dramatic effect. Barrow, located on Alaska’s northern coast, is one of the northernmost communities in the United States. The film was released by Sony Pictures in October 2007.