Daybreakers (R) (2009)

If the threat of H1N1 isn’t scary enough, Hollywood wants us to ponder a pandemic virus that is capable of transforming the world’s population into vampires. Don’t expect the polite, gentile, sexy vampires from the Twilight series, either. These bloodsuckers are anything but attractive. The few unaffected humans who are left are doomed to hide in the shadows lest they be captured and their blood farmed as midnight snacks for the dominant predatory species of mutants. In fact, the world now belongs to the infected who will soon be running out of food and turning on each other. Two solutions loom. One is a synthetic blood substitute to appease the vampires once their human source vanishes. The other is discovering a cure for the virus that causes the vampirism aberration.

Set in the not-too-distant future, 2019, this action-packed, sci-fi vampire thriller may not be very plausible, but it will certainly get your attention. Smoothly directed by the Spierig brothers, Peter and Michael, the plot is reminiscent of their 2003 film, Undead, but with a much stronger cast. Ethan Hawke plays vampire Edward Dalton, a research hematologist with an aversion to drinking human blood. Fortunately for humanity, he is working on developing an alternate source of nutrition for his kind. Human survivor Willem Defoe is Lionel, a man with a plan to cure vampirism, but in the mean time is wiping out as many pointy-tooth beings as he can. Finally, there is the guy everyone loves to hate, he greedy corporate villain well played by Sam Niel, Charles Bromley. Enjoy this diversion from reality, but don’t look at it too deeply or you’ll be disappointed by some obvious “plot” holes. 2