Daybreakers Review

Going into this film, I didn’t know what to expect. From the trailer, it seemed like it had an interesting storyline and a talented cast. But with all the craze about vampires as of late, I wasn’t sure if this was just another attempt by money-hungry producers to cash in on the latest trend. Fortunately, I found this to be untrue.

The plot to Daybreakers is simple enough: vampires are the majority of the population, and because of this, their human blood supply is running out. Thus, they must find a blood substitute. On the other side of the spectrum, the last remaining humans must join together to find a way to save mankind.

While Daybreakers has a basic plotline, it is unique in one aspect; unlike other films of this genre, it does not simply pit vampires against humans. While both races fight for survival, some vampires work with the humans to find a cure, treating vampirism not as an advantage but as a disease. That is where the film differs as well. Most films either portray vampires as cursed creatures whom we should feel sorry for, or powerful Gods who treat humans like cattle. Daybreakers has both vampires that embrace their superhuman powers and vampires that despise what they are.

The story centers on Edward Dalton, a vampire who believes he is cursed. Ironically, he is a scientist in charge of finding a blood substitute so the vampire race can live on. The sympathetic vampire who cares more for humans than his own kind is played by Ethan Hawke…big surprise there. Not that he’s bad, but it’d be nice to see Hawke play the bad guy every now and then.
While Edward Dalton is an interesting character, it is his brother Frankie Dalton (Michael Dorman) that steals the show. Frankie is a vampire soldier who is a little more than gun-ho about hunting down humans. And, unlike Edward, he is a three-dimensional character that changes throughout the course of the film. Edward sees in black and white: vampire bad, human good. Frankie is put into difficult situations and his conscious suffers from the decisions he makes. Michael Dorman plays the character to perfection, capturing the energy and charisma of Frankie at the start of things, and then showing the matured, experienced man he becomes.

Sam Neill is perfectly creepy as Charles Bromley, the villain in charge of the largest blood supply corporation. Willem Dafoe plays Lionel ‘Elvis’ Cormac, a vampire-turned-human. Dafoe is his usual self, delivering the best one-liners and providing humor whenever it is needed. The only character I had a problem with was Audrey Bennett (Claudia Karvan). It is obvious that her character was created to be the token love interest for Edward Dalton, but she fails miserably. Their relationship is never fully realized, and Karvan doesn’t quite have the beauty and flair to make it as the lead female.

The Sperig Brothers capture the perfect atmosphere for a vampire film, and remind us that vampires only come out at night (recent films would have you believe otherwise). But, if they do come out during the day, they need to tint their car windows. Daybreakers is a run-of-the-mill action-thriller that has poignant moments every now and then. The film makes you care about the characters (or at least some), but it also delivers the blood and violence that you came to see. I recommend it for anyone who is a fan of the vampire genre, and for those who want to stand off boredom for ninety minutes.