Daybreakers

If you have read any of our reviews lately, you would know that the word “entertaining” has been popping up a lot. After watching Daybreakers, the MovieHuman tried to come up with a more fitting adjective but was, unfortunately, unable to do so. The futuristic vampire flick is replete with excellent actors performing a middling script and a chain of deus ex machina moments to rival the final scene of The Hobbit—but the cool factor that the camera-work, leading man (Ethan Hawke), occasional startling moment, and general premise allow Daybreakers to ascend from standard thriller fare to at least earn the status of entertaining.

The more disappointing aspects of the movie are derived from the over-dependence on blood and underwhelming plausibility of the lines, and from Willem Dafoe’s not-very-believable human, Elvis. The action sequences are compelling, however, and Hawke and Sam Niell deliver solid character work, making the film a good ride. The novelty of a world filled with vampires, where fangs are the norm and nighttime is the only time of day when people are out and about, and an immersive execution of this premise are intriguing enough to make the movie’s 98 minutes tolerably fun.