Daybreakers (2010)

"A darkly stylish horror film.  Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out New York
"Daybreakers is more serious, from its A-list cast to its political commentary, with blood as a metaphor for oil. Like the best genre films, it has something on its mind.  Lawrence Toppman, Charlotte Observer

Editor's Note It's 2017, and the undead far outnumber the living in this horror film starring Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke (TRAINING DAY). A virus has spread across the earth, turning its inhabitants into vampires. With their blood supply dwindling, the vampires must find a way to sustain their source of food.

	Ethan Hawke
	Sam Neill
	Vince Colosimo
	Willem Dafoe
	Paul Sonkkila
	Michael Dorman
	Claudia Karvan
	Isabel Lucas
	Christopher Gordon - Composer
	Michael Spierig - Screenwriter
	Ben Nott - Cinematographer
	Chris Brown - Producer
	Peter Spierig - Screenwriter
	Sean Furst - Producer
	Bryan Furst - Producer
	Peter Spierig - Director
	Michael Spierig - Director

Box Office
3 stars out of 5 -- "DAYBREAKERS, a clever twist on the vampire legend, delivers what genre fans crave and more." 01/04/2010

New York Times
"[T]his impressively stylized thriller envisions a world where vampires rule and humans run....The doomsday atmosphere and George Liddle's production design remain vivid until the final, blood-splattered reel." 01/08/2010

USA Today
"[T]here are clever touches....Some intriguing social issues are raised." 01/07/2010

Wall Street Journal
"[T]he German filmmaker brothers Michael and Peter Spierig have come up with a new twist in DAYBREAKERS....[With] some stylish action, accompanied by several solid performances..." 01/08/2010

Hollywood Reporter
"[T]he setting is sleek and filled with clever details....The copious gore will appeal to hard-core horror buffs..." 01/07/2010

Washington Post
"In one of the film's wickedly funny touches, vampire commuters are shown lining up for shots of the red stuff at a Starbucks-like blood bar." 01/08/2010

Film Comment
"[A] slick, violent, and intensely gloomy horror/action/sci-fi hybrid that stands out in a crowded field of end-of-mankind movie scenarios." 01/01/2010

Empire
3 stars out of 5 -- "There's a fascinating idea at the heart of DAYBREAKERS, where a vampire plague has swept the world and everyone's now a bloodsucker..." 01/01/2010

Sight and Sound
"[I]t holds up a mirror to the ills of the past decade....It is also, thanks to the Spierigs' way with set-piece action and gory effects, a very enjoyable ride into the sunset." 03/01/2010

Total Film
3 stars out of 5 -- "The Spierig brothers' sci-fi/horror genre bender unspools in a beautifully blue-tinted, Giger-esque near-future where all humans are vampires and blood is scarce." 05/17/2010

ReelViews 7 of 10
Daybreakers argues there still may be some new terrain to be strip-mined in the rush to exploit the bloodsucking undead. As far removed from the Twilight series as possible (with more in common with Children of Men), Daybreakers brings its vampires closer to the "classic" breed. Although no indication is provided of whether they're crucifix-shy or have a pathological distaste for garlic, they do not cast reflections, can be killed by a stake through the heart, and burst into flame when kissed by the sun (no sparkling here). It's unclear whether Daybreakers' creatures fall in love or have sex, but that's not relevant to what's going on in the film...On balance, however, there are more things to like about Daybreakers than to dislike. The production is loaded with impressive touches, some more nuanced than others. Consider for example, the opening scene in which a vampire girl allows the sun to touch her because she doesn't want to be a child for eternity, or the Starbucks-like coffee establishment that has substituted blood for cream, or the advancements the vampires have developed to protect against "sunburn." The degree to which I became engrossed in this surreal, well-considered world allowed me to overlook problems like the limited adrenaline in the action sequences, the uninspired lead performance, and an unplugged hole at the end (involving Bromley's daughter). The Spierigs evidently have a fondness for the macabre. This is their second film; their debut, which didn't reach these shores, was called Undead. In an era when the vampire concept has become marginalized by writers and movie-makers principally concerned with cashing in on a payday and promoting necrophilia, it's refreshing to discover directors who return to the old school concepts as an inspiration for something different in some ways from what we're accustomed to. - James Berardinelli