DAYBREAKERS Review

Think Zombieland but instead of Zombies, it’s Vampires, that’s what watching DAYBREAKERS feels like. Even Willem Dafoe’s character Elvis is as comical and badass as Woody’s Tallahasee. DAYBREAKERS is… irresistibly violent, frighting, and clever with surprises around each dark, shadowy corner. A thrill ride that aims to please. The concept and the plot show attempts to reach profundity but in the end, if you’re trying to reach too deep, you’re sucking on the wrong blood.

Academy Award nominee® Ethan Hawke plays Edward Dalton, a researcher in the year 2019, in which an unknown plague has transformed the world’s population into vampires. As the human population nears extinction, vampires must capture and farm every remaining human, or find a blood substitute before time runs out. However, a covert group of vampires makes a remarkable discovery, one which has the power to save the human race.

The story is quite intriguing and only because both species, vampires and humans, are facing the same dilemma, they’re on the brink of extinction. Whereas one simply dies, the other mutates into a disgustingly ugly, terrifying, uncontrollable creature. There’s a certain social commentary embedded into the themes by the Spierig Brothers although I wouldn’t focus too much on that.
Once again, the concept is clever, it may not be groundbreaking but Spierig applies electrical shock to jumpstart a heart as a way to find the cure or reverse the vampirical effects, but only to introduce the audience with yet another cure that’s been hiding in plain sight

DAYBREAKERS is targeted for male audiences, the level of violence is strong and graphic, which satisfies every action-loving bone in my body, if only the movie Max Payne had gotten similar treatment. And this is also DAYBREAKERS’ biggest point because in a time where we’re surrounded by films about tame vampires or vampires in romance, it’s a bit refreshing to go back to how it used to be where vampires were simply vicious, hungry animals that will attack at a drop of human blood.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, unlikely alliances are formed. The way humans today rioting over food supply, Spierigs imagine “what if” they were vampires rioting over blood supply.

Ethan Hawke plays doctor Edward Dalton, a researcher who longs to know what it feels like to be human again, he’s one of the few vampires that sympathize the humans and their fight for survival, on the other hand being a vampire he’s also confronted with not just his carnal desire but the impending doom that comes from not being able to create a blood substitute that works for the survival of his kind. Torn between two worlds, Hawke plays it with such anguish and determination. Sam Neill plays an excellent bad guy as the head of the corporation that farm humans for blood. Neill is power-hungry and without mercy. An under-rated performance by an actor who’s consistent in most of his gigs. Obviously the man who steals the show is Willem Dafoe as Elvis. Rheese and Wernick provide great lines for Woody in Zombieland, the Spierigs provide great lines that only Dafoe could execute with such charm, wit, attitude, calmness, and perfect comedic timing. Dafoe’s voice that sounds peculiar also helps in making his character stand out.

Last year I was surprised because Underworld: Rise of the Lycans turned out to be a decent January movie. This year, DAYBREAKERS proves that January isn’t always a dumping ground for awful movies. If you’re not sold by the characters or the story, the Spierigs go out of their way to inject some coolness in forms of the car, the crossbows, the VFX and the action sequences. The writing is not bad, yes the interaction between the characters could move more seamlessly but it’s got enough memorable, often surprisingly poetic dialogue that would give a certain kick to the head. For those of us R-rated action/thriller fans, I say DAYBREAKERS is a keeper.

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