Daybreakers Review

Vampires: everybody loves them. Or, more accurately, everybody loves the ones that kind of suck. With Twilight a global phenomenon, it’s no surprise that more and more flicks starring creatures of the night are hitting theaters. And while some stinkers like Cirque du Freak threaten to screw the whole pooch, some horrormeisters are making good on the craze by knocking out slick, scary horror movies. So which category does Daybreakers fall into? Read on.

Daybreakers gets points right off the bat for originality. Transplanting the action into the future where the majority of the Earth’s population is undead is a new angle on the genre, and the movie does good things with it. Humans live underground and are farmed for blood, but as the population dwindles the vamps realize that they need to figure out another way to survive or else turn to cannibalism. Unfortunately, the answer’s not as simple as going down to the Circle K for some TruBlood. Ethan Hawke stars as a hematologist looking for a solution, but instead discovers an all-out cure for vampirism. Unfortunately, a number of the undead don’t really want to go back. Cue the action. Throw in a family drama subplot and build towards a climactic confrontation and you’ve got yourself a movie.

I’m sort of torn on Daybreakers – for everything it does well (intense, gory action and a great atmosphere), it does other things poorly (cliched characters, unsatisfying ending). But while it lasts, it’s a pretty fun ride with some genuine shocks and scares along the way.