Stake and Cheese

Daybreakers
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Sam Neil
Director: The Spierig Brothers
Rating: *** (out of 5)


Summary: In 2019, vampires rule and humanity is almost extinct, but blood supplies are running low and vampires are fighting for survival from their own blood lust...

10 minutes into Daybreakers and snippets from a number of quick news reports show that it's going to be somewhat of an allegorical mess, attempting to shoehorn a number of hot political topics - reliance on non-renewable energy, treatment of the homeless, the third world - into the plot with the subtlety of a stake through the heart.

The majority of the cast do well with what they're given. Sam Neill gives a suitably slippery performance and Ethan Hawke sulks his way through his portrayal of a remorseful vampire. Special mention must go to Willem Dafoe, who seems to have been auditioning for the part of Woody Harrelson's brother in Zombieland 2 and stumbled into the wrong film. The action set pieces are well executed and Daybreakers twist on the traditional underground vampires is something I haven't seen before - its good to finally see the superior species living an above ground, Wachowski-lite, corporate existence.

Despite this, Daybreakers was a frustrating experience. Even now, 48 hours after viewing, I'm not sure what to think of it or where to place it on a simple one to five rating scale. There were aspects I really liked and aspects I despised. It's not a simple Marmite test, its Marmite with jam - confusing for the senses and not very satisfying.