Thursday, October 24th, Netflix original series, Daybreak, will debut just in time for your Halloween binge-watching pleasure. This YA, post-apocalyptic, zombie show asks and answers the question ‘What’s life like during the apocalypse?’, that is, if you’re a teen living in a world no longer run by adults. Helmed by directors known for their action film/TV credits and starring Colin Ford (We Bought a Zoo), Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), and Austin Crute (Booksmart), Daybreak has the makings of a good show.
Synopsis: High school isn’t the end of the world… until it is. In this post-apocalyptic, genre-bending series, the city of Glendale, California is populated by marauding gangs of jocks, gamers, the 4-H Club, and other fearsome tribes who are kicking ass as they fight to survive in the wake of a nuclear blast (on the night of Homecoming, no less…ugh!). Following an eclectic group of survivors as they navigate this strange and treacherous world, Daybreak is part samurai saga, part endearing coming-of-age story, and part Battle Royale.
After watching the trailer, I’m expecting something like Zombieland‘s post-apocalyptic hellscape crossing paths with the Scott Pilgrim universe in order to pickup a lovable underdog male lead, and then for good measure, a light dusting of social factions à la Mad Max — I am cautiously intrigued. The trailer is undoubtedly fun, and it looks to have a lineup of a relatively diverse cast of quirky characters. Out of all the teen dramas that Netflix is producing — 13 Reasons Why, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Stranger Things, to name a few — Daybreak seems like it may break free of its high school walls setting yet also seems like it will do the least coming-of-age exploration compared to these teen hits. However, by what seems to be an over-the-top tone in style and aesthetic and dialogue, this is sure to attract zombie-philes, survival/apocalyptic film/TV enthusiasts, and the like.
Though teens rule the zombie dreamland of Daybreak, the series is rated TV-MA; this show may be only deceptively comedic from its trailer, perhaps there is a lot more gore than the trailer would lead one to believe. Daybreak had the pleasure of being produced and created by writer/director Brad Peyton and writer/producer Aron Eli Coleite, whom I love for his work on the gritty supernatural series Heroes (2006-2010). This 10-episode series will become available at the stroke of midnight October 24th, but for more information in the meantime, visit: netflix.com/daybreak
