In the horror genre one of the most talked about characters is the vampire. They’ve gone from horrendous creatures of the night with leathery wings to sophisticated socialites that just tend to drink a drop or two of blood. In the TWILIGHT films, they’ve become the obsession of teen girls (and secretly their mothers as well) around the world. But now and then a new take on the old character arrives on film and such is the case with DAYBREAKERS.
DAYBREAKERS begins in a world far different than our own. The year is 2019 and rather than humans being the norm these days vampires are in control of everything. They’re in charge of the military, the government and big business. But it’s not just the elites who are vampires, it is almost everyone. Humans are now the endangered species.
But the blood flow is slowing down. Humans that have been harvested for years in what looks like a cow farm on steroids are depleting and dying out. And with fewer humans to feed on, vampires are beginning to change as well. Feeding on their own or themselves, they begin to change into a different type of vampire, a subsider. These vampires look more like the legendary creatures with large wings, leathery skin and outrageous fangs.
At a multinational corporation owned by Charles Bromley (Sam Neill), their chief hematologist Ed Dalton (Ethan Hawke) is searching for a blood substitute that vampires can live in. To date all attempts have failed and one viewed onscreen results in a gooey gore filled moment. Ed wants humans and vampires to co-exist but without a blood substitute there is little hope of it happening.
Ed’s brother feels differently. It was Frank (Michael Dorman) who changed Ed long ago. Ed’s birthday celebration with Frank is far from festival and as the two brothers argue, Ed’s home is invaded by a subsider. Once more blood flows freely as the subsider is subdued. But the image of the poor creature, once as close to human as Ed is, makes him more determined than ever to find a cure. Because once the human blood supply is gone, this is what all vampires will turn into.
A chance encounter in a traffic accident results in Ed meeting a group of humans on the run. But this chance encounter will change his life as the woman in charge named Audrey (Claudia Karvan) sets up a meeting with Ed and the leader of the humans, Elvis (Willem Dafoe). Through Elvis, Ed learns that there is indeed a cure, but even this group is unsure of how it works or how to reproduce it. With Ed’s help they might find the answers.
Of course Frankie foils that from happening by leading an assault team to capture Ed and the humans. On the run, the escape to a new locale but that too is eventually found by the vampires. With little or no time to find the solution, Ed and his group must stay off the grid and find the solution to their problem before the vampires change.
Unfortunately this doesn’t coincide with the plans of Bromley. It seems that the whole search for a cure was a farce and that Bromley is more businessman than beast. His whole take on the situation is a means of making more money, huger profits. And with a new blood substitute he’s come across, the world can remain a place for vampires and a dark day for humans. The only person standing in his way now is Ed and his group of on the run humans.
This movie offers a whole new take on a tired genre, giving it new life if you will. The entire world filled with vampires and humans’ holding up in locations to hide makes for a chilling thought. No longer are we at the top of the food chain.
But the world in this film isn’t safe for the monsters either. The vampires are given a glimpse of what they will become once the blood peters out. And that is not a pretty sight for anyone to see.
The cast does a tremendous job here, making their roles seem real. Hawke shows a nice side here, playing a man chained to a way of surviving while searching for another. Ed doesn’t truly want to continue living, but the hope of finding a solution keeps him going.
Dafoe always does a great job. His Lionel “Elvis” Cormac is one tough dude while at the same time a compassionate man who does what he can to help any other humans he finds. The rest of the group does an equally fine job and Neill plays the cold hearted executive quite well.
No comments:
Post a Comment