Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

      View All
      Movies Tv shows Movie Trivia News Showtimes
      TRAILER 1:01

      Daybreakers

      2009, Horror/Sci-fi, 1h 38m

      157 Reviews 100,000+ Ratings

      What to know

      Critics Consensus

      Though it arrives during an unfortunate glut of vampire movies, Daybreakers offers enough dark sci-fi thrills -- and enough of a unique twist on the genre -- to satisfy filmgoers. Read critic reviews

      You might also like

      See More
      The Crazies
      Piranha
      Case 39
      Final Destination 5
      Machete

      Where to watch Daybreakers

      Rent/buy Subscription Rent/buy Rent/buy

      Watch Daybreakers with a subscription on Hulu, rent on Vudu, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, or buy on Vudu, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video.

      Rate And Review

      User image

      Verified

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Rate this movie

        Oof, that was Rotten.

        Meh, it passed the time.

        It’s good – I’d recommend it.

        Awesome!

        So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

        What did you think of the movie? (optional)



      • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Step 2 of 2

        How did you buy your ticket?

        Let's get your review verified.

        • Fandango

        • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

        • Cinemark Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Regal Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Theater box office or somewhere else

        You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Rate this movie

        Oof, that was Rotten.

        Meh, it passed the time.

        It’s good – I’d recommend it.

        Awesome!

        So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

        What did you think of the movie? (optional)

      • How did you buy your ticket?

        • Fandango

        • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

        • Cinemark Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Regal Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Theater box office or somewhere else

      Daybreakers  Photos

      Movie Info

      Ten years after a plague turns most of the world's population into vampires, a critical blood shortage causes panic and gruesome mutations among the reanimated. Edward (Ethan Hawke), a vampire hematologist, tries to develop a blood substitute when he meets Lionel (Willem Dafoe) and Audrey (Claudia Karvan), two fugitive humans who claim to have a possible cure. Edward casts his lot with them in the hope of perfecting the cure before it's too late.

      • Rating: R (Language|Brief Nudity|Strong Bloody Violence)

      • Genre: Horror, Sci-fi, Action

      • Original Language: English

      • Director: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig

      • Producer: Chris Brown, Bryan Furst, Sean Furst

      • Writer: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig

      • Release Date (Theaters):  wide

      • Release Date (Streaming):

      • Box Office (Gross USA): $30.0M

      • Runtime:

      • Distributor: Lionsgate Films

      • Production Co: Pacific Film and Television Commission, Lionsgate Films, Australian Film Finance Corporation, Paradise Productions, Furst Films

      • Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS

      • Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

      Cast & Crew

      Ethan Hawke
      Willem Dafoe
      Claudia Karvan
      Michael Dorman
      Vince Colosimo
      Sam Neill
      Isabel Lucas
      Paul Sonkkila
      Michael Spierig
      Peter Spierig
      Jason Constantine
      Peter Block
      Ben Nott
      Matt Villa
      Christopher Gordon
      George Liddle
      Bill Booth
      Matthew Putland
      George Liddle

      News & Interviews for Daybreakers

      Critic Reviews for Daybreakers

      Audience Reviews for Daybreakers

      • Oct 28, 2017

        Vampires have mostly been an afterthought these days, Taking a backseat to zombies but this film was pretty fun at times with some good action scenes, It's pretty gory and the dark tone worked well too, A few twists keep it ticking over, It won't jump anyone on to the vampire bandwagon but it's worth watching even if it's nothing memorable in the long run.

        Super Reviewer
      • Jan 05, 2013

        [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] Confused, unfocused but rather intriguing. Daybreakers is the perfect example of a high concept action thriler that suffers because of it's budget restrains but benefits due to a capable cast and startling visual imagery. The gore used in the film is almost completely computer generated, I think if it was taken in the physical handmade direction it would have been a lot cooler and a huge deal more striking. Etiher way the dazzling and gorgeous cinematography and moments of interesting direction make up for it's overly convoluted story. Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe and Sam Neill manage to bring more to their highly typical characters than necessary with light character development and charisma. Not only is the action in the film decent for it's budget but I think within it's ambitious premise is an underlying political subtext concerning the need for clean energy in the modern world. The low budget however does have it's downsides. Most action sequences in the film aren't as thrilling as they should be and feel like they should be more climactic and realistic. But Daybreakers captures the dystopian future feel absolutely flawlessly and manages to build enough moments of tension for a pedestrian but satisfying action horror flick. There have been a lot of vampire movies churned off the shlock production line recenty but the combination of campness and seriousness with the addition of depth in Daybreakers deems it something that much more intelligent and unique. The construction flaws in it are various but it manages to escape the bloatedness of it's sub plots with exciting, unadulterated, action packed madness.

        Super Reviewer
      • Oct 06, 2012

        With a daring and bold vision, Daybreakers delivers a fascinating and terrifying look at a world ruled by vampires. After vampires hunt the human race to near extinction, their society starts to collapse as the blood supply runs out. The cast includes Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, and Sam Neill, who all delivery solid performances. The concept of the film is quite intriguing, and is used very effectively. Additionally, the surrealist visual style works to enhance the tone and atmosphere of the film. Daybreakers is a provocative and compelling thriller that manages to avoid the major tropes of the vampire genre.

        Super Reviewer
      • Jun 10, 2012

        In a world run by vampires who farm humans for their blood, a hematologist discovers the cure. I liked the film's unique take on the vampire genre, the idea that with all their extraordinary powers, it's unlikely that vampires would live in an Anne Rice level of hiding and self-despair. By extension, it's unlikely that vampires would abandon human vices like greed and a power-hungry obsession with controlling others, so the Sam Neill character was an excellent villain both thematically and in the actor's performance. Ethan Hawke may be trying to be understated and soulful, but mostly, he looks weary and disinterested. What motivates Edward's care for humans? Why does he find himself and his predicament despicable? The Anne Rice level of existential despair should at least make a mild comeback if he's going to be the film's protagonist. As an actor, Hawke often makes the mistake of thinking that his brooding looks and absent demeanor do all the character work necessary to keep us interested, but when he's partnered with a personality as big as Willem Dafoe's, Hawke shrinks into the scenery. I also thought that some of the plot twists in the third act were predictable. Overall, the ideas necessary for good science fiction are actually here, but the story and Ethan Hawke's performance kept <i>Daybreakers</i> from being a stronger film.

        Super Reviewer

      Movie & TV guides

      View All