What an awesome premise!
The year is 2019, and the world is controlled by vampires. Humans are the food supply, but unfortunately, mankind is on the verge of extinction. Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke), a scientist, is working on a “blood substitute”, which, if he’s successful, will ensure the survival of the new vampire species.
But Edward is one of the few undead who regrets what’s being done to the human population. When he meets Lionel “Elvis” Cormac (Willen Dafoe), a former vampire who, following a freak accident, found himself human again, Edward decides that, instead of a food substitute, he’d much rather devote his time to curing vampirism!
Like I said, it’s a great premise, and fortunately, Daybreakers lives up to its potential. Set primarily at night (because we all know what happens to vampires in the sunlight), the movie is undeniably dark (in both presentation and subject matter), and some of the subplots are just as intriguing as the main story.
For example, there's Edward’s boss, Charles Bromley (Sam Neill), a shady big-time executive who sees a chance to make a boatload of money with the blood substitute. Alas, Bromley’s daughter Alison (Isabel Lucas), ran away ten years ago, soon after her father turned, and she is now in hiding. Though content with his new “life”, Bromley would like nothing more than to have his daughter back.
Directors / brothers Michael and Peter Spierig do a fine job balancing the film’s various storylines, and while Daybreakers does occasionally tread into familiar territory (there are a few standard chase scenes), it’s unique enough to warrant serious attention.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
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