Night Watch

In modern Moscow, an uneasy truce keeps the balance between the forces of Light and Dark—two factions of supernatural “Others” hiding in plain sight among ordinary people. By day, the Light Watch maintains order; by night, vampires and dark magicians roam the city under strict limits. Anton, a reluctant agent of the Night Watch, patrols this fragile peace until a routine case pulls him into a chain of events that threatens to tip the balance forever.

In Russia, the film topped the box office, outperforming several major Hollywood releases during its theatrical run.

The film exists in multiple versions. The international cut is shorter and features stylized on-screen graphics and animated subtitles not present in the original Russian theatrical version.

Music varies between releases: the Russian version of the film uses local artists, while the international version includes tracks by Western bands, changing the overall tone.

The film launched a franchise, followed by the sequel Day Watch (2006), with plans for a larger trilogy originally envisioned.

Night Watch received praise from international filmmakers and critics and was later included in lists highlighting important world cinema films of the 2000s.