English
In the prologue, which is set in medieval times, the audience is introduced to humans with special powers called The Others (Иные, иной; Inyye, Inoy). The Others are allied with the forces of either Light or Dark, and the prologue recounts a great battle between the two factions. Geser, the lord of Light, realizes that the two forces are evenly matched and will annihilate each other. In parley with Zavulon, the general of Dark, the two agree to a truce in which the Light will form a Night Watch and the Dark a Day Watch to maintain the balance before the coming of the Great One who will choose either Light or Dark, and thereby bring one to prominence.
In modern Russia, when his wife leaves him for another man, Anton Gorodetsky (Russian: Антон Городецкий) visits an old woman, Daria, who he believes is able to bring his wife back. Daria tells him that his wife is pregnant by another man and that she must miscarry, because giving birth bonds her to that other man. Anton accepts responsibility for this. Daria prepares a drink using Anton's blood, which he drinks. The shot cuts to his wife telling the other man they have to split up. Daria starts to recite an incantation to induce an abortion, and Anton's wife on a distant boat collapses and clutches at her womb. Just as the incantation is about to be complete, two figures become visible in the room, and a third appears at the door and shapeshifts into a tiger. The Night Watch team works together to restrain the old woman. They express surprise when Anton sees them, and they note that he must be an Other. Twelve years later, Anton has become a member of the Night Watch and is working with the team. On Anton's request, Kostya, his neighbor, takes him to see his father, a butcher, to get blood for Anton to drink. The father does this reluctantly, and then tells Kostya that members of the Night Watch only drink blood when they hunt vampires like themselves.
A twelve-year-old boy, Yegor, hears "The Call" - a psychic call by a vampire who intends to feed. Anton tracks Yegor, being able to hear the call as he gets closer to Yegor, due to the blood he drank. On the way he sees a blond woman with her hair flying about even though she is inside a subway train with no wind. Realizing she is under a deadly curse, Anton uses a magical flashlight in an attempt to remove the curse, but fails. Two vampires are about to feed on Yegor when Anton arrives, and he is attacked by the male vampire, whom Anton can only see in a mirror. Anton hurts the female vampire with the remaining energies of the flashlight, forcing her to hide. The other members of the Night Watch arrive and turn on the head lights of their truck, which are enchanted in the same way as Anton's flashlight. Anton then picks up a mirror shard and directs the light from the truck towards the male vampire, destroying him. A member of the Day Watch arrives and reveals that the Day Watch is aware of the murder of one of their dark ones.
Anton is healed by Geser, who notes that he could have solved things more easily by entering into the Twilight - a shadow world only accessible by the Others. After Anton tells him about the woman in the subway, he reveals a legend about a virgin who is cursed so that people and animals around her die or sicken, and that she is accompanied by a vortex of damnation. It is now clear that the virgin, now reborn, will soon die, unless the Night Watch finds the one who cursed her. Geser gives Anton an assistant called Olga, which looks like a stuffed owl. Anton refuses and laughs, until he sees Geser throw it out the window, whereupon it turns into a living owl that flies away. At Anton's apartment, the owl arrives and shapeshifts into a woman...
Español
Durante años, y desde tiempos ancestrales, a los humanos con poderes sobrenaturales se les dieron el nombre de "Otros" (Иные). Hubo dos bandos, las fuerzas de la Oscuridad, que sometían y torturaban a la población indefensa, y los Iluminados, que protegían a estos de las garras de los tenebrosos. Un día, ambos bandos se encontraron en un puente, pero ninguno quiso retroceder, desencadenandose así una cruel batalla, mientras corría la sangre, fruto de la cruel contienda, Zavulón (Viktor Verzhbitsky) se regodeaba mientras que Geser (Vladimir Menshov) lloraba por las perdidas humanas, consciente de que la batalla estaba demasiado igualada, Lord Geser mandó detener la guerra y acordó con Zavulón pactar una tregua. Para ello crearon guardias que lucharían para asegurar el cumplimiento de la misma. A los Otros de la Luz se les daría el nombre de Guardianes de la Noche, los cuales tendrían que vigilar a los Oscuros para que estos respetaran el alto al fuego. Y los Otros Oscuros, llamados Guardianes del Día, viceversa para mantener el equilibrio. Pero un buen día llegaría un Otro más poderoso que ninguno que tendrá que eligir bando rompiendo así la balanza...
Français
À Moscou, de nos jours, l'équilibre établi depuis des millénaires entre les forces de l'Ombre et de la Lumière est sur le point de se rompre. Les garants de l'ordre, les Gardiens du jour (« Day Watch ») pour les forces de l'Ombre et de la nuit (« Night Watch ») pour les forces de la Lumière, sont censés protéger les membres de leur côté, tous les êtres dotés de facultés surnaturelles, nommés « Autres » (ex : Vampires, sorcières, etc.).
Or doit venir un grand Autre plus puissant qui fera basculer l'équilibre à jamais par son choix entre le bien et le mal. Celui-ci changera ainsi la face du monde par ses actions.
Italiano
Dopo secoli di combattimenti, le forze della luce e quelle delle tenebre hanno stretto un accordo: le forze della luce faranno la guardia alla notte, quelle delle tenebre al giorno.
Русский
В нашем мире есть обычные люди и Иные. Иные могут быть Светлыми, могут быть Тёмными, разница лишь в том, какого типа энергетику они потребляют. Это — в книге. В фильме Тёмные, представленные всякими несимпатичными личностями вроде вампиров, демонов и тёмных магов, творят свои низкие дела, Светлые — пытаются им в этом помешать (или как-нибудь регламентировать (ограничить)). Для соблюдения договора между этими силами (со стороны Светлых) создан Ночной Дозор, в котором несут службу Светлые маги различных категорий.
20-летний Антон Городецкий, закончив институт, знакомится с девушкой, которая вскоре уходит от него к другому. Пытаясь её вернуть, он обращается к знахарке, не осознавая, что связался с тёмными силами. Ведьма, кроме обряда приворота, уговаривает его ещё и согласиться на умертвление плода (появившегося якобы от нового ухажёра). Во время сеанса на квартиру к ведьме приезжает патруль Ночного Дозора. Антон оказывается втянут в круговорот событий и, претерпевая некую метаморфозу, сам открывает в себе талант Иного. Спустя двенадцать лет Антон находится уже в рядах Ночного Дозора во время рейда, направленного против вампира, нарушившего своими действиями условия Договора.