Everybody Likes To Bring Up Interview With The Vampire, But How About A 2009 Banger With Ethan Hawke As A Vampire Scientist?

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I definitely prefer werewolves over vampires. But honestly, there are a lot more good vampire movies out there—like Interview with the Vampire—than there are good werewolf movies.

Before you bring up classics like An American Werewolf in London or The Wolf Man, I have to point out that vampires just appear in more consistently good movies and shows. Think of films like The Lost Boys, From Dusk till Dawn, and the recent Nosferatu. There are so many great vampire movies, in fact, that even excellent ones sometimes get overlooked – like the 2009 film Daybreakers, with Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe.

I enjoy movies such as The Howling, Dog Soldiers, and Ginger Snaps, but Daybreakers really stands out as something special.

It’s Like I Am Legend, But With A Fascinating Twist

I once wrote a comparison of the three films based on Richard Matheson’s novel, I Am Legend—that is, The Last Man on Earth (1964), The Omega Man (1971), and I Am Legend (2007). Surprisingly, I found that the movie with the novel’s title actually deviated the most from the original story. This is largely because the creatures in the 2007 I Am Legend felt the least like traditional vampires, though the strange group in The Omega Man were a close second.

I’ve always found the idea behind the novel I Am Legend really interesting. It features a man named Robert Neville who is the sole survivor in a world overrun by vampires – essentially, the original “vampire survivor.” The movie Daybreakers takes that concept and turns it on its head. Instead of focusing on a human hero, the story mainly follows the vampires. In this world, vampires are the dominant force, and they’re hunting humans for their blood to keep their society going.

Since vampires far outnumber humans, they’re nearly exhausting their food supply. As humans dwindle, vampires begin to transform into monstrous, bat-like beings known as “subsiders.”

It’s a really cool concept, and it almost feels like a “what if” story to I Am Legend. I love it.

The Dystopian Setting Is Unlike Any Other Vampire Movie

I’m a big fan of post-apocalyptic and dystopian films. While nobody wants to live in those worlds, they’re always compelling to watch. Daybreakers offers a particularly unique setting – it’s bleak for both humans and vampires, as the vampires are constantly facing a food shortage.

The story takes place in a dystopian world where people are kidnapped and connected to pods, their blood drained for profit. Powerful company leaders publicly claim they’re developing an artificial blood replacement, but secretly hoard the real thing for themselves and the wealthy elite. Sam Neill, known for his role in the original Jurassic Park, plays Charles Bromley, the villainous executive behind this scheme.

As a film buff, I’m really digging this world they’ve created. Apparently, some people think vampires can actually become human again, but Bromley? He’s not interested. Why would he be? The guy runs a hugely successful nightlife empire and spends his days cruising around in a custom car that blocks out the sun. It’s a clever detail – these vampires, they call them ‘daybreakers,’ can get around during daylight with the right tech, which adds a really cool layer to everything.

It’s unsettling how similar a world full of vampires feels to our own, especially when you consider how both involve profiting from something essential for survival – vampires with blood, and pharmaceutical companies with life-saving medicine. That connection is frightening on its own.

Ethan Hawke Plays An Interesting Vampire Hematologist

You know, it’s funny—the article focuses on Ethan Hawke, and I realized I hadn’t even gotten to him yet! That really speaks to how captivating this film’s world is. Hawke is central to the story, playing a fascinating character: a vampire who also happens to be a doctor, and surprisingly, he’s genuinely trying to do good.

Ethan Hawke, known for his recent work in horror films like Black Phone 2, plays Dr. Edward Dalton, a doctor desperately searching for an artificial blood source to save humanity. He tests his experimental substitutes on courageous, vampire-like soldiers, but progress is slow, and time is running out as their blood supply dwindles.

Similar to Hawke’s character in the original The Purge, Dalton’s kindness leads to complications. He accidentally forces a car off the road, discovering it’s filled with humans. Instead of doing the right thing and contacting the authorities, he hides them. This decision pulls him into their lives, and he unexpectedly learns that vampires might be able to become human again.

The part is a bit dull because the character is consistently perfect. However, a more compelling role went to a different actor.

Willem Dafoe Is Also Excellent, But When Is He Not?

Willem Dafoe has a recurring connection to vampire films. He famously portrayed a vampire in the critically acclaimed Shadow of the Vampire, a movie centered around the actor who played Count Orlok in the original Nosferatu. More recently, he took on the role of a vampire hunter in the new Nosferatu remake.

In Daybreakers, Willem Dafoe plays a unique vampire hunter—he’s actually a former vampire who’s been turned back into a human. Now, he’s leading the fight against vampires, hoping to find a way to restore others to humanity. Ethan Hawke plays a character who refuses to drink human blood and joins forces with Dafoe, known as Lionel “Elvis” Cormac, to save the world from disaster.

Willem Dafoe is fantastic as usual. The film is quite bleak and serious, but Dafoe brings a welcome bit of humor. He essentially serves as the comic relief, and he’s a more engaging character than Ethan Hawke—simply because the script allows him to be. Unlike Hawke, Dafoe isn’t stuck playing the serious, straight-laced role; he gets to have fun.

He’s genuinely funny, and a good portion of the movie is enjoyable, even if some parts feel a little slow. That brings me to my final thought.

In The End, Daybreakers Is A Novel Concept That Delivers

Daybreakers is surprisingly good. While the basic idea is intriguing on its own, the movie really shines thanks to strong performances from Willem Dafoe as a seasoned vampire survivor and Ethan Hawke as a cautious vampire doctor. It successfully delivers on all fronts.

Despite being a sci-fi horror film with plenty of action, Daybreakers also delivers a strong message, especially with Sam Neill giving a wonderfully over-the-top performance as a villainous corporate executive in the pharmaceutical industry. It’s a vampire movie that I think deserves more attention – much like 30 Days of Night, which I also plan to discuss – because it’s genuinely great.

It’s a novel idea, and it delivers. What more could you possibly want?

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2025-12-02 02:10