The dead of winter movie season brought with it plenty of monster and science fiction films. "Daybreakers" is a satisfying mixture of both genres. Further exploring the vampire mythos, the creators of "Daybreakers" take the story of the fanged ones to the extreme -- what if vampires wipe out humanity and take over the world? The writing/directing team of the Spierig brothers, create an interesting alternate reality where vampires go about their daily lives in a civilization of the undead. The problem is that the blood supply is dangerously low and no safe alternative can be found. Can vampires maintain this civilized veneer as the population is starving to death? What if instead of a blood substitute, a cure to vampirism is found? Would people take it willingly? These issues are explored within the context of the film, some more deeply than others, elevating the picture above the standard B-movie fare.
Ethan Hawke ("Assault on Precinct 13") plays Edward Dalton, a vampire scientist searching for a solution to the blood problem. He is a reluctant vampire, one who sympathizes with the few remaining humans and refuses to feed on human blood. His brother Frankie is a soldier who tracks down free humans. The brothers' different viewpoints are polar opposites and cause an interesting dynamic between the characters. Edward is contacted by a group of humans led by the charismatic but crazy Elvis Cormac (Willem Dafoe; "Spiderman" series). Along with a fellow survivor named Audrey, these three work towards a potential cure for vampirism. How long can they escape detection by the authorities led by the president of a powerful blood distribution company (Sam Neill; TV's "The Tudors")?
As common to B-movies, there are a few under-explained aspects of the story, a cast of mostly forgettable actors, and a rushed, unsatisfactory ending. But there is plenty in "Daybreakers" that does work and exceeds the confines of an inexpensive, genre picture. Hawke's downcast performance as a scientist sympathetic to the human plight ultimately illuminates the ethical variations among vampires. Dafoe's performance is comparatively more generic, recycling his slightly insane, bad boy character from other pictures. Neill's character is given a side story about a human daughter who ran away rather than becoming a vampire. This subplot winds its way back into the main plot, further revealing that not all vampires are content with their situation.
The world's been adapted to the vampire's allergy to the sun and hunger for blood with completely enclosed cars invented for daytime driving and blood vendors on the streets. The exploration of vampire culture is fascinating and is the most compelling aspect of the picture. The adventure story was fast-paced and easy to follow, which will keep an action fan satisfied. The explanation of vampire science in the picture makes intrinsic sense to the story, satisfying the believability factor. I just wish the ending wasn't so brief and left matters so unresolved. Perhaps it was meant to leave open the possibility for a sequel but this picture deserved a satisfactory conclusion to respect a brilliant premise. While an acceptable ending, "Daybreakers" wasn't able to nail it.
Rated R for strong bloody violence, language and brief nudity.
