Recent Release Reviewed! Daybreakers

DAYBREAKERS

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Claudia Karvan, Sam Neill
Written and directed by: Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig

Yes indeed, it's another vampire movie. Everyone complains about the proliferation of vampires on the big screen, and the telly, but there is a reason for their popularity. It's because, if they're done right, they're fantastic. So, does Daybreakers do it right?

The set-up is pleasantly different. It's set in the near future in a world where almost everyone is a vampire. But the supplies of human blood are running dangerously low. Company head Bromley (Sam Neill) orders haematologist Edward (Ethan Hawke) to find a substitute, but there are no breakthroughs. To make matters worse, increasing numbers of starving vampires are turning into ravenous mutated beasts. Edward is contacted by the human resistance who say they've found a cure for vampirism, led by ex-vamp Elvis (Willem Dafoe), and together they try to implement the cure before everyone turns monstrous.



The first twenty minutes of Daybreakers work very well. The production and costume design goes for futuristic retro, with Hawke et al dressed up in Don Draper suits, perpetually smoking. The start is all about the little details (blood coffee, starving homeless, the none-too-subtle references to oil) that establish the Spierig brother's alternate world. It should be mentioned that the film was shot in Australia, which would explain the architecture (beautifully photographed) and Sam Neill.

Once Edward is contacted by the resistance, things slow down somewhat. In other words, once the actual plot kicks into gear, all the nice little details fall by the wayside. Luckily, a lot of the weightier exposition is given to us by Willem Dafoe, who seems to be enjoying himself immensely as the crossbow-wielding Elvis fan. Similarly entertaining is Sam Neill, who gets all the best lines as the corporate villain without ever stretching himself too far. He also gets the more interesting character notes: why would a vampire want to be cured? Only Hawke seems to be miserable, attempting to convey the portentousness of the plot while glowering moodily just to the side of the camera. He also gets one of the worse sub-plots, with a brother who's loyal to Bromley's thugs.

Hawke tried hard during the promotional tour to reassure people that Daybreakers was going to be an "adult" horror film rather than a teen flick, a la Twilight. This seems to rest on two things: the subtext and the gore. It's a relief that the subtext in Daybreakers is never too overt. It's obvious, but it's never Syriana. As for the gore, the film is surprisingly bloody. From a hilarious experiment-gone-wrong to what Ben and I could only describe as "pornographically arcing ropes of blood" at the finale, there's enough to satisfy the gorehounds.

So, Daybreakers is an entertaining little horror film. The reasons for its delay (it was filmed in 2007) may be reasonable, but I enjoyed the movie. It's a little flat in the midde, but the supporting cast is good, it looks great, and the action sequences are well done. Don't expect a masterpiece, but you can expect a fun time.

6/10