Rating: 7.5/10

I am (admittedly) a fan of that little vampire franchise headed by Mrs. Stephenie Meyer and was drawn in to the first film by a baseball game set to Muse. But my horror-loving heart always longed for a little more blood, a little more gore, a little more “classic” vampire terror. DAYBREAKERS delivers on these ideas and the soundtrack follows suit. No piano interludes and hip alterna-rock found here. This soundtrack is pure score through and through and brings this idea of the classic vampire movie full circle.

Composer Christopher Gordon (MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD, MAO’S LAST DANCER) gives us a full score ranging from strings to horns to drums. You get a full orchestral experience AND bloody massacres – who isn’t into that?

Our main character, Edward (Ethan Hawke), does play into the now-familiar theme of a vampire filled with self-loathing for who he is: a killer. Edward’s pain and struggle as he deals with his circumstance vibrates through Gordon’s score. The tracks are haunting and almost mournful.

Each track is titled based on the scene it relates to. Having songs composed for specific scenes completely heightened the film experience for me and, in turn, the soundtrack plays as its own sonic story. When Gordon plays up the drums in climatic moments, just listening to the music was enough to push me to the edge of my seat and get my heartbeat racing. I was even tempted to press skip when listening to “Drought” because I could honestly feel the anguish of those suffering from starvation

My biggest gripe with film soundtracks has always been that the songs you fall in love with or grab your attention in the trailer rarely show up on the actual soundtrack (see: WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE). Well, bravo and touché, DAYBREAKERS for proving me wrong. The slightly off-putting tune by Placebo, “Running Up That Hill," heard in the trailer IS featured on this soundtrack and it’s also the only non-score track featured.

I really enjoyed this movie and was impressed by the soundtrack. If you are not a big fan of score or orchestrations, you may not want to shell out for this entire collection, but I highly recommend at least adding the Placebo track to your playlists.

This soundtrack is now available through Lionsgate.

1. “Immolation” – Christopher Gordon
2. “Nightfall” – Christopher Gordon
3. “Humans” – Christopher Gordon
4. “Subsider” – Christopher Gordon
5. “On the Run” – Christopher Gordon
6. “Blood Lust” – Christopher Gordon
7. “The Winery and the Café” – Christopher Gordon
8. “Fermentation Tank” – Christopher Gordon
9. “Ambush” – Christopher Gordon
10. “Resurrection” – Christopher Gordon
11. “Drought” – Christopher Gordon
12. “In the Sun” – Christopher Gordon
13. “Blood Brothers” – Christopher Gordon
14. “Spreading the Cure” – Christopher Gordon
15. “Daybreak” – Christopher Gordon
16. “Running Up That Hill” – Placebo