Though it arrives during an unfortunate glut of vampire movies, Daybreakers offers enough dark sci-fi thrills -- and enough of a unique twist on the genre -- to satisfy filmgoers. Read critic reviews
Daybreakers
2009, Horror/Sci-fi, 1h 38m
155 Reviews 100,000+ RatingsWhat to know
You might also like
See More
The Crazies
Piranha
Case 39
Final Destination 5
Machete
Where to watch
Rate And Review
-
What did you think of the movie? (optional)
You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.
You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.
What did you think of the movie? (optional)
How did you buy your ticket?
-
Fandango
-
AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew
-
Cinemark Coming Soon
We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.
-
Regal Coming Soon
We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.
-
Theater box office or somewhere else
Daybreakers Videos
Daybreakers Photos
Movie Info
Ten years after a plague turns most of the world's population into vampires, a critical blood shortage causes panic and gruesome mutations among the reanimated. Edward (Ethan Hawke), a vampire hematologist, tries to develop a blood substitute when he meets Lionel (Willem Dafoe) and Audrey (Claudia Karvan), two fugitive humans who claim to have a possible cure. Edward casts his lot with them in the hope of perfecting the cure before it's too late.
-
Rating: R (Language|Brief Nudity|Strong Bloody Violence)
-
Genre: Horror, Sci-fi
-
Original Language: English
-
Director: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
-
Producer: Chris Brown, Bryan Furst, Sean Furst
-
Writer: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
-
Release Date (Theaters): wide
-
Release Date (Streaming):
-
Box Office (Gross USA): $30.0M
-
Runtime:
-
Distributor: Lionsgate Films
-
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
-
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)
Cast & Crew
News & Interviews for Daybreakers
Critic Reviews for Daybreakers
Audience Reviews for Daybreakers
-
Vampires have mostly been an afterthought these days, Taking a backseat to zombies but this film was pretty fun at times with some good action scenes, It's pretty gory and the dark tone worked well too, A few twists keep it ticking over, It won't jump anyone on to the vampire bandwagon but it's worth watching even if it's nothing memorable in the long run.
-
[img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] Confused, unfocused but rather intriguing. Daybreakers is the perfect example of a high concept action thriler that suffers because of it's budget restrains but benefits due to a capable cast and startling visual imagery. The gore used in the film is almost completely computer generated, I think if it was taken in the physical handmade direction it would have been a lot cooler and a huge deal more striking. Etiher way the dazzling and gorgeous cinematography and moments of interesting direction make up for it's overly convoluted story. Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe and Sam Neill manage to bring more to their highly typical characters than necessary with light character development and charisma. Not only is the action in the film decent for it's budget but I think within it's ambitious premise is an underlying political subtext concerning the need for clean energy in the modern world. The low budget however does have it's downsides. Most action sequences in the film aren't as thrilling as they should be and feel like they should be more climactic and realistic. But Daybreakers captures the dystopian future feel absolutely flawlessly and manages to build enough moments of tension for a pedestrian but satisfying action horror flick. There have been a lot of vampire movies churned off the shlock production line recenty but the combination of campness and seriousness with the addition of depth in Daybreakers deems it something that much more intelligent and unique. The construction flaws in it are various but it manages to escape the bloatedness of it's sub plots with exciting, unadulterated, action packed madness.
-
With a daring and bold vision, Daybreakers delivers a fascinating and terrifying look at a world ruled by vampires. After vampires hunt the human race to near extinction, their society starts to collapse as the blood supply runs out. The cast includes Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, and Sam Neill, who all delivery solid performances. The concept of the film is quite intriguing, and is used very effectively. Additionally, the surrealist visual style works to enhance the tone and atmosphere of the film. Daybreakers is a provocative and compelling thriller that manages to avoid the major tropes of the vampire genre.
-
In a world run by vampires who farm humans for their blood, a hematologist discovers the cure. I liked the film's unique take on the vampire genre, the idea that with all their extraordinary powers, it's unlikely that vampires would live in an Anne Rice level of hiding and self-despair. By extension, it's unlikely that vampires would abandon human vices like greed and a power-hungry obsession with controlling others, so the Sam Neill character was an excellent villain both thematically and in the actor's performance. Ethan Hawke may be trying to be understated and soulful, but mostly, he looks weary and disinterested. What motivates Edward's care for humans? Why does he find himself and his predicament despicable? The Anne Rice level of existential despair should at least make a mild comeback if he's going to be the film's protagonist. As an actor, Hawke often makes the mistake of thinking that his brooding looks and absent demeanor do all the character work necessary to keep us interested, but when he's partnered with a personality as big as Willem Dafoe's, Hawke shrinks into the scenery. I also thought that some of the plot twists in the third act were predictable. Overall, the ideas necessary for good science fiction are actually here, but the story and Ethan Hawke's performance kept <i>Daybreakers</i> from being a stronger film.
Verified