One of the highest-grossing Russian movies of all time, this Blade meets Lord of the Rings horror fantasy is based on the first part of Sergei Lukyanenko's bestselling trilogy. The convoluted plot boils down to an ancient truce being broken between the forces of Light and Darkness, and the prophesied coming of the "Great Other" whose choice between them will tip the outcome of the final battle. Unsurprisingly, director Timur Bekmambetov makes liberal use of special effects - especially CGI enhancement - but his lightning pace rarely leaves time for explaining the plot, which is probably a good thing because it's essentially very silly. With a budget of around $4.2 million, this epic production broke new ground in Russia, but it's the same old blockbuster in Hollywood terms. The stylised subtitling does add a new dimension to the experience for international audiences - when a character screams, the words fill the entire frame, and when a vampire strikes, the red text drips off the screen.

Among normal humans live the "Others" possessing various supernatural powers. They are divided up into the forces of light and the forces of the dark, who signed a truce several centuries ago to end a devastating battle. Ever since, the forces of light govern the day while the night belongs to their dark opponents. In modern day Moscow the dark Others actually roam the night as vampires while a "Night Watch" of light forces, among them Anton, the movie's protagonist, try to control them and limit their outrage