Movie Review: Daybreakers
Guest Movie Review By Joseph Giorgi.
In an era when vampires have become synonymous with adolescent love triangles, this genre standout comes as a welcome reprieve. Daybreakers not only aims to reinvigorate vampire lore, but to refocus it in an identifiable and socially relevant manner. The only drawback: no one seems to have noticed.
Daybreakers may not have achieved the mainstream notoriety that the studio was hoping for upon its initial release, but it’s a film that both casual Horror-movie buffs and hardcore enthusiasts should experience. It’s an admittedly low-profile entry in an oversaturated genre, but this flick’s vicious approach to its supernatural subject matter makes it a standout.
It’s the sophomore effort from “The Spierig Brothers,” the clever directing duo behind 2003’s Undead, a zombie apocalypse Horror-Comedy that went largely under the radar but was nonetheless impressive on all fronts. Back now in full creative swing, the Brothers (who share writer/director credits) have constructed a wholly innovative take on the vampire mythos. A step in the right direction, Daybreakers marks the return of the modern vampire film to a more brooding and contemplative tone—with a touch of carnage thrown in for good measure.
The film takes place in a near-future wherein vampires have become the dominant species on the planet and the remaining humans are hunted and harvested for blood. The story follows vampire hematologist Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke), who works for a pharmaceutical company that distributes the available human blood supply to the vampire populace of the United States. Edward’s research is geared toward finding a viable and sustainable alternative to human blood as a food source, given that the current supply is due to run out in a matter of weeks. Vampires are aware that once the blood runs out they’ll physically degenerate into a permanently animalistic form. Furthermore, they know that if this happens, they’ll be incapable of maintaining the political, economic, and social stability of their society. So, if the blood runs dry, their system will collapse.
Edward’s allegiance to vampire-kind is called into question when he suggests that there is a cure to vampirism and that it may be a more viable long-term solution than any kind of alternative to blood. Vampires, naturally, aren’t willing to relinquish their evolutionary upper-hand—more blood is all they’re really interested in.
Daybreakers centers itself around the thematic notion that, if vampires constituted the ruling majority, the world would most likely continue to operate as normal—that is, according the same hierarchical and self-defeating design that defines humanity’s system of governing. In other words, vampires are basically bound to repeat our mistakes because of their inherently human desires—those of wealth, excess, and indulgence.
The story is, of course, a timely allegory for overconsumption of non-renewable resources. Here, blood is tantamount to oil and vampire hierarchy is representative of modern America’s class divide. In much the same manner as George Romero’s Living Dead franchise, the filmmakers have challenged and expanded upon genre conventions. They’ve used vampire mythology as a template for sociopolitical commentary, something lesser writers and directors tend to shy away from.
The alternate reality of Daybreakers is equal parts impressive and recognizable. From the opening act of the film, we see vampires in a surprisingly unique way: as human beings. Well, not really—they’re still bloodsuckers, but with identifiably human characteristics and traits. The Spierig Brothers understand that in order for viewers to buy into this dystopian world, we first have to relate to it. Here we see vampires grapple with an array of real-world issues—everything from the day-to-day monotony of standing in line at a newspaper stand to the burdens of enduring family hardship and contemplating suicide. There’s actually quite a spectrum of human emotion on display in the film, though the presence of human characters on screen is somewhat minimal.
The filmmakers’ high-minded approach to vampirism, of course, is counterbalanced by their frequent forays into aggression, primitivism, and bloodlust—though not in traditional ways. In keeping with the seriousness of their story, the Spierigs make a concerted effort to justify any and all moments of on-screen violence. While certain moments are intentionally designed to provoke the viewer (there are a number of rather effective “boo scares”), the film maintains an air of superiority by virtue of its sheer stylishness. You get the feeling about ten minutes into it that there’s some real talent behind the cameras (as well as in front). The entire visual signature of the film is remarkable. From the desaturated bluish-grey color tone that defines the look of the world to the expertly choreographed, slow-motion climax, the Spierig Brothers supplement their substance with their style—a rarity in recent years of Horror. In some ways, their approach is borderline kinetic; not to the extent that one would confuse this for an Action film, but in a way that enlivens the generally brooding tone. This particularly noticeable toward the end, when the bloodshed reaches critical mass and the bodies literally begin to pile up.
Ultimately, the fusion of quantity and quality in Daybreakers is pretty faultless (save for maybe an instance or two of slightly wooden dialogue). The timeliness of the story couldn’t have been matched by a more unique approach or by more capable hands. At the end of the day, the film is defined not by its fanged featured characters, but by its originality and depth—qualities woefully lacking in a majority of Hollywood’s offerings these days.
About the author: Joseph Giorgi is a content developer, blogger, and video specialist for Quality Logo Products, Inc., a promotional products distributor in the greater Chicago area. If you’re in the mood for a fresh take on the world of promotions and marketing, feel free to swing by and check out our blog anytime!
