SummaryTwo-time Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke plays Edward Dalton, a researcher in the year 2019, in which an unknown plague has transformed the world's population into vampires. As the human population nears extinction, vampires must capture and farm every remaining human, or find a blood substitute before time runs out. However, a covert group of ... Read More
Directed By:Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
Written By:Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
Daybreakers
Metascore
Mixed or Average
57
User score
Generally Favorable
6.1
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
57
52% Positive
16 Reviews
16 Reviews
39% Mixed
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
10% Negative
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
80
A darkly stylish horror film.
75
Peter and Michael Spierig's earlier, campier horror outing, the zombie picture known as "Undead," was even bloodier than this one. The movie-makers are after bigger game here, and a subtler mixture of speculative nightmare and action film.
User score
Generally Favorable
6.1
43% Positive
68 Ratings
68 Ratings
49% Mixed
78 Ratings
78 Ratings
9% Negative
14 Ratings
14 Ratings
Jan 24, 2026
8
A slick, inventive, and stylishly bloody sci-fi action thriller that breathes fresh, dystopian life into the vampire genre.2010 (4.0)Written and directed by the Spierig Brothers, "Daybreakers" (2009) presents a captivating futuristic premise set in a dystopian 2019 where a mysterious plague has transformed the vast majority of the world's human population into vampires. With humanity on the brink of total extinction and the global synthetic blood supply rapidly running dry, the dominant vampire civilization faces chaotic collapse, as blood-starved vampires mutate into feral, bat-like monsters known as Subsiders. The narrative centers on Edward Dalton, a sympathetic vampire hematologist working for a powerful pharmaceutical conglomerate, who secretly opposes his species' exploitation of humans and desperately searches for a viable blood substitute. Edward's life takes a radical turn when he crosses paths with a covert human resistance movement led by former vampire Lionel "Elvis" Cormac, who accidentally discovered a genuine cure that can reverse vampirism and restore human life. Joining forces with Cormac and resistance fighter Audrey Bennett, Edward races against time to develop the cure while hunted by his ruthless corporate boss, Charles Bromley, and militarized vampire forces determined to capture the last remaining humans. Starring Ethan Hawke as Edward Dalton, Willem Dafoe as Cormac, Sam Neill as Bromley, and Claudia Karvan as Audrey, the film combines sharp social satire with sleek visuals, dark atmosphere, and explosive action sequences. Viewing this in 2013 provided an insanely entertaining and memorable experience, delivering a smart, stylish twist on classic vampire lore.
Aug 30, 2023
8
Interesting take on Vampires being the dominant society and how the humans try to survive in it. I seem to keep coming back to this movie over the years. So the replay value surely bumps up the score.
67
It’s a little bit silly – as is Dafoe’s Kentucky-fried cowboy mechanic named Elvis – but silly is fun. In fact, one wishes it were sillier still.
63
This intriguing premise, alas, ends as so many movies do these days, with fierce fights and bloodshed.
58
After a while, Daybreakers settles into the lulling rhythms of too many horror movies, as the characters ponder what to do in darkened rooms instead of doing much of anything.
50
Hawke is half-assed throughout, showing passion only when he's screaming like a little girl when something scary happens. The visuals have a dingy, unfocused quality, especially in the muddy visual-effects-enhanced backdrops. And some of the plot turns are awful. The vampire "cure" is so stupid, you'll want to walk out of the theater, even if you normally like this kind of movie.
30
Any higher intentions are brought crashing down by predictability, wooden characters, giggle-inducing attempts at scares (shrieking bats, anyone?) and cinematography so gloomy it should be checked for serotonin deficiency.
Feb 24, 2013
6
A total surprise! I have consistently been dumbfounded by the vampire craze in movies and television as of late, but then a small film like Daybreakers came along in a month like January, and I found myself wanting to take back all my preconceptions. Daybreakers is so much fun! It's amazing concept that executed with style.
Jul 12, 2012
6
Daybreakers has an interesting sci-fi/fantasy premise - as the result of a virus, vampires become the dominant species on the planet, and struggle to survive once the remaining human population, and their life-giving blood supply begins to dwindle. The film has satisfying and effectively moody visuals and good direction from the Australian Spierig Brothers. In the lead role as a vampire scientist searching for a human blood substitute to feed the starving vampire population, Ethan Hawke us just how consistent his performances are, and Sam Neill keeps your attention, with a quiet menace about his character, who's basically a vampiric bureaucrat. And of course, it goes without saying that Willem Dafoe looks cool with a goatee on his face and a crossbow slung over his shoulder. The film, as a new take on the vampire myth with a satirical edge that comments on world energy crises is, for the most part, far better than it has to be. It does have a disappointing finale, issues with pacing, particularly when we spend any amount of time away from the cool vampire world and with the dull, depressing humans, and there's the odd bit of clunky dialogue. The explanation of one of the key plot points is also incredibly unsatisfying. For what it is though, Daybreakers is a decent example - it doesn't bring many new ideas to the table, sure, but just about everything is done well, and I enjoyed it far more than another recent modern take on a vampire film - 30 Days of Night. There's potential for expansion of this intriguing world in a sequel too, but whether this will manifest at all, or as anything beyond a direct-to-DVD feature remains to be seen.
Jun 2, 2025
2
C’est assez original : une épidémie a vampirisé l’humanité et cette dernière est en voie de disparition… car les humains devenus vampires ont besoin de sang… humain pour vivre ! et bientôt, il n’y aura plus de quoi se sustenter : les vampires se boufferont entre eux ou deviendront des « dégénérés »… Sur ces entrefaites, le film tente de développer sa bonne idée mais n’y parvient pas… pire, il s’enlise et bousille ce qu’il a entrepris, saccageant le peu de scénario qui lui restait : une pirouette ridicule permet en effet in extremis de soigner le vampîrisme ! et la « méthode » utilisée est le signe d’un scénariste en PLS (overdose de cocaïne très certainement). Malgré quelques effets spéciaux bien faits, une distribution sympathique et une réalisation des plus correctes, rien n’y fait, le peu de crédibilité a été perdu assez vite (en un peu plus de trois quarts d’heure, je crois) et le film devient très chiant et de fait, presque grotesque à l’insu de son plein gré. Quel dommage !
Aug 15, 2019
1
Absolutely ridiculous. This plot is heavy on symbolism, but it's still a dumb movie. Just think about it for 1 minute and you'll start wondering why they bothered to make this at all.
Production Company:
- Lionsgate
- Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC)
- Pictures in Paradise
- Pacific Film and Television Commission
- Furst Films
- Mandate Pictures International
Release Date:Jan 8, 2010
Duration:1 h 38 m
Rating:R
Tagline:In 2019, the most precious natural resource... is us.
Awards
Australian Screen Sound Guild
• 1 Win & 4 Nominations
Australian Film Institute
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Fangoria Chainsaw Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
