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Daybreakers Review

Movies.com Critics

3.5

Dave White Profile

No mushy stuff except guts. Read full review

2.5

Jen Yamato Profile

Like Twilight, with blood and guts! Read full review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 3.0
    57

    out of 100

    Metascore®
    Mixed or average reviews
    based on a weighted average of all
    critic review scores.

  • 30

    out of 100

    Los Angeles Times

    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.

    Read Full Review

  • 50

    out of 100

    Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

    Daybreakers turns?into a ponderous apocalyptic chase film -- it's like "Children of Men" with exploding-plasma shock effects.

    Read Full Review

  • 50

    out of 100

    The Hollywood Reporter

    The Spierigs have assembled a strong cast, but even their best efforts -- notably by Neill, whose Bromley is the ultimate vampire squid, tentacles wrapped around the face of this scary new world -- can't pump any real life into the bloodless script.

    Read Full Review

  • 60

    out of 100

    Variety Dennis Harvey

    The script doesn't wring many surprises or much character involvement from the premise, and the brothers' helming, while slick, is short on scares, action setpieces and humor.

    Read Full Review

  • 60

    out of 100

    Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

    The idea goes only so far--roughly halfway through the 98-minute running time--in staining narrative clarity. Daybreakers finally comes up with some comments on the predatory practices of Big Pharma, but that's an awful comedown from the blood-rushing brilliance of the early scenes.

    Read Full Review

  • 63

    out of 100

    Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

    This intriguing premise, alas, ends as so many movies do these days, with fierce fights and bloodshed.

    Read Full Review

  • 63

    out of 100

    USA Today Claudia Puig

    Daybreakers is entertaining, though not quite up to the standards of "28 Days Later."

    Read Full Review

  • 70

    out of 100

    The New York Times Jeannette Catsoulis

    The narrative may flag, but the doomsday atmosphere and George Liddle's production design remain vivid until the final, blood-splattered reel.

    Read Full Review

  • 75

    out of 100

    Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

    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.

    Read Full Review

  • See all Daybreakers reviews at Metacritic.com

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For Families provided by Common Sense Media

Iffy for 15+

Moody vampire cautionary tale is heavy on action/violence.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Daybreakers is an action-oriented vampire movie that's heavy on blood, gore, and violence -- in other words, it's no angsty, teen-friendly Twilight. Be ready for disturbing images that depict hungry vampires mutating into horrible creatures, as well as some characters enduring excruciating pain as a way to be "reborn." There's also plenty of strong language (including "f--k" and "s--t") and smoking. The movie has a slightly veiled message about the excessive consumption of natural resources, and the main character actually has admirable traits -- including honor, decency, and selflessness -- but some of that gets lost amid the over-the-top, comic book-like tone and gallons of spilled (and splattered) blood.

  • Families can talk about how this movie compares to other vampire media. Why do you think vampires are so popular? Why do you think some vampire movies, etc. are so much more violent than others?
  • How does the movie address the dwindling of Earth's natural resources? How did thevampires deal with the problem, and how are humans dealing with similarproblems right now? What can people do to help?
  • The bad-guy vampire character and his daughter (a human) have very different beliefs. How could they have come to a compromise?

The good stuff
  • message true0

    Messages: While the movie doesn't have strongly positive take-aways, its story is a metaphor for humans depleting natural resources with no concern for the future. The bad guys are shown trying to earn a profit from this crisis, while the heroes continually fight for the betterment of mankind and vampirekind. Human and vampire enemies must learn to trust one another.

  • rolemodels true0

    Role models: Though he's a vampire, hero Edward Dalton is actually a fairly positive role model, working tirelessly on a blood substitute to sustain his brethren (and refusing to drink human blood himself, believing that he shouldn't relieve his own suffering when so many others suffer). When a better solution arises, Dalton risks his life for it. When the time comes for him to work with humans, the groups put aside their differences and learn to trust one another. Although Dalton's brother joins an evil vampire army to hunt humans, Dalton honors his family ties.

What to watch for
  • violence false4

    Violence: Tons of fantasy violence -- it's less a horror movie than an action movie filled with fighting, gore, and some disturbing imagery (i.e. humans hanging from machines that harvest blood). The heroes wield crossbows and knives, while the bad guys generally fire high-powered dart guns (also a Taser). There Gallons of blood are shed, including guts spattering on walls, beheadings, limb-tearing, and an exploding head. In one subplot, starving vampires who are deprived of human blood begin to mutate; viewers see disturbing photos of this process.

  • sex false2

    Sex: The heroine runs around braless and in a tank top. But the story's vampire troubles leave very little time for sex, kissing, or romance.

  • language false4

    Language: Several uses of "f--k"" (including "motherf--ker") and plenty of uses of "s--t." Also words/phrases like "dammit," "hurts like hell," "goddamn," and "life's a bitch and then you don't die." One character uses colorful euphemisms like "it's as safe as barebacking a $5 whore."

  • consumerism false0

    Consumerism: Not an issue

  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3

    Drinking, drugs and smoking: Characters smoke a lot of cigarettes.

An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology.

© Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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Fan Reviews provided by

Average Rating: 3.605
Read all reviews Write a review at Fandango
4

by lizcass

3

by portatoface

3

by Thbjones

3

by Ronin Bahamut

4

by PirateVanRock

3

by QBad3

3


3

Awesome! ... until the last 30 mintues by kowshe01234
This movie is great. I love the idea behind it: the whole world turning into vampires and depending on humans to farm blood. Awesome. Cool story. The movie is really good too, with good characters and whatnot. I actually enjoyed this in theaters, as well as on DVD. Until the last 30 minutes. It seems like the movie writer/director/whatever ran out of ideas for the end of the movie, and just decided to throw in a bunch of vampires eating people, blood squirting and spurting everywhere, and all sorts of nasty gore. Now, I have a pretty strong stomach and the gore and blood itself wasn't what turned me off. It was just the fact that there was so much, and it was so pointless. That 20 minute scene could have been 5 minutes and it would have been sufficient. Didn't really like the fact that vampires actually EXPLODE in a burst of blood and fire when they die either ... Otherwise, it's a pretty good movie. One I'd recommend seeing if you don't really mind a lot of blood.

Read all Daybreakers reviews at Fandango
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