DAYBREAKERS looks like a horror movie, with vampires, crossbows, and buckets of gore. In its heart, however, it’s a science fiction movie. Why? Because it does what good science fiction does: it uses its milieu to comment on an issue of the day.
DAYBREAKERS flips over THE OMEGA MAN and gives us vampire civilization. They’ve won, and the few remaining humans are hunted or farmed, but the supply is running low. That’s a problem, ‘cause vamps gotta eat and pig blood is running low, too. Scientists labor to create artificial blood, but the work is not going well. Now what?
Sound familiar? I think somebody took “blood for oil” and ran with it. Good for them.
Narratively, the film relies on a standard “fugitive” structure, using gun battles, close escapes, and a poorly fleshed out love interest to keep things moving along. It’s effective enough, and the performances are fine, and the film does maintain a good balance of action and horror. However, as with many science fiction stories, the ideas are more compelling than the plot. What will the world look like when the oil’s about to run out? How will we adapt? This is interesting stuff, packaged for the genre audience, and delivered well.
Nice.
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