Daybreakers, a 2010 vampire dystopian thriller from twin directors Michael and Peter Spierig, is being highlighted as an overlooked gem from a decade full of cheesy vampire films, and it is currently streaming for free on Pluto TV. The film reimagines familiar vampire tropes as a sci-fi story, standing out for its inventive premise, committed visual style and willingness to embrace the genre's excesses while doing something different, featuring performances from Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe and the late Sam Neill.

Set in an alternate 2019, the film depicts a world where vampires have become the dominant species and are running out of human blood, threatening the rise of "Subsiders", monstrous starving vampires brought to life through elaborate practical foam-latex effects. Hawke plays a vampire hematologist seeking an alternative blood source, whose path crosses with Dafoe's character, a former vampire turned human, sparking a hunt for a cure; the production's creature design and striking cinematography, contrasting sterile modern settings with natural landscapes, remain highlights 17 years after release.