Daybreakers takes place in 2019, where vampires have pretty much taken over the world and human blood are now in short supply. Humans are now harvested, like in Matrix, hooked up to machines for their blood. What happens when vampires are starved for human blood? They become crazed, bat-like monsters, and after a period of time, I’m guessing, they die off. Meanwhile, Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke), a hematologist, is looking for a blood substitute to save the vampire population, if not, a cure. Well, as the story progresses, he meets some human freedom fighters and a man who has been cured of vampirism. However, there are many obstacles that get in the way of saving civilization.
The set up of this world is quite well laid out. The vampires here talk and act like any other human society, with policemen, workers, and politicians (and people still make money), except they still have to avoid the sunlight (cars that travel in the day all have mechanical shields that cover the windows) and they have no mirror reflections. I’m not sure there are much of a homicide rate, but vampires still can be killed by a stake in the heart or decapitation, and while they may not have a pulse, they appear to be able to bleed, somewhat. The futuristic look of the world, along with bluish tones and glass walls, remind me a lot of Gattaca (since Ethan Hawke was also in that film). The sets are beautiful and the colors are both artistically saturated and blurred in certain parts.
Ethan Hawke, with his pale, gaunt look, plays the vampire doctor with a good amount of sympathy that makes him relatable. Sam Neill pretty much nails his part as Charles Bromley, a leader of a corporation that harvests human blood for profit. With his raised eyebrows, glowing eyes, crooked smile, and teeth, he comes off very smooth and sinister as one would expect mean, corporate types to be. Willem Dafoe plays “Elvis”, a man cured of vampirism, with a right amount of camp and fun—he reminds me of a vampire-hunting Van Gogh, just right at home with his crossbow in hand.
The concept and the story feels fresh and original (compared to all the other vampire teenyboppers out there) and I liked the way the film takes this particular world seriously. While the film contains jump-off-the-seat moments, gore, and buckets of blood, it is not a horror movie. There are occasional, cool “monster” moments, but not many, as the film’s direction seemed to be interested in the human/vampire interactions and drama. One can read into the parallels of the vampire civilization with our own and take away political, social, and religious symbolism from it, or enjoy it as an action drama. I found it amusing how even these virtually immortal beings still crave for rather temporary things like money. The film touches even a bit upon the idea of whether these guys even want to be cured. Sure, if you’re human, you get to grow up, have kids, and walk around in the daytime, but you are also quite mortal. While the film doesn’t dwell too deeply into the philosophical concepts, it does reveal that some characters would rather die than never be able to grow up (which also eventually results in death).
Overall, while I enjoyed the film as action sci-fi drama, I particularly appreciated the freshness of the concept. Making the vampiric society just like human’s give a nice tinge of irony. Actors like Sam Neil, Willem Dafoe, and Ethan Hawke bring a lot of weight, while Michael and Peter Spierig directs the film with confidence and stylistic imagery. It’s great to see something original in a progressively tired genre. ***1/2 out of **** stars.
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