Daybreakers came and went with little fanfare, which is a real shame given that this is one of the most entertaining vampire movies in years. The film is set in a dystopian future where vampires are now the dominant species; any surviving humans have been outcast, and the population live in a world ruled by the night. Written and directed by the Spierig Brothers, it's a creative set-up that paves the way for an action-orientated storyline that sees a vampiric doctor, played by Ethan Hawke, teaming up with a renegade human - William Defoe - who claims to have a cure. Daybreakers is a bloody affair, which succeeds in crafting an eerie future packed with neat little details and cool world-building. As a conflicted vamp, Ethan Hawke makes for a root-worthy protagonist, while the film's blend of sci-fi and horror keeps things interesting. If it doesn't quite push the smarts as far as it could have, it's still a heck of a lot of fun.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
