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Sneak peek at Fantastic Fest: ‘Daybreakers’
Yet another vampire thriller doesn’t sound that promising for the closing night film at Fantastic Fest, but “Daybreakers,” putting the punctuation mark on this year’s fete, proves a solid closer — a slick, throttling vampire flick with smart twists and, most importantly, gushers of orgiastic gore. Fantastic fans should be delighted.
On Wednesday the press got a sneak peek of the film, which won’t be released until January 8. Being extremely discreet, not revealing too much, this is what we saw:
The world is ruled by vampires. Humans, scared for their lives, are being hunted down by the military for blood harvesting by the undead. A national blood shortage, in critical stages, means that human blood is even rarer and more precious than ever, so a pharmacology lab, with Ethan Hawke its chief hematologist, is attempting to manufacture a blood substitute.
But because he empathizes with the endangered humans — the vampires were once human, after all — Hawke’s good doctor joins the living to help them with a cure for vampirism. (He has a big heart, even if it doesn’t beat.)
What unfurls is a war between the vamps and the humans, with more blood and ripped flesh than you’d expect from a Hollywood picture. Grim undertones of civil rights struggles, bigotry and fear and hatred of the Other are elegantly woven into the action, which isn’t afraid to embrace a cliche or three. But mostly “Daybreakers” keeps it fresh, twinning thrills with compelling ideas and gallons of splatter.
Willem Dafoe, as a southern-fried former vampire, and Sam Neill as the venal CEO of the blood harvesting company, also star.
“Daybreakers” plays at 9:45 p.m. Thursday at the Alamo South, with directors Peter Spierig and Michael Spierig in attendance. More info and the movie’s trailer HERE.
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