Ferris Bueller meets the apocalypse
Yes the apocalypse, much like superheroes the world’s obsession with the apocalypse continues on. It’s the idea of what everyone would do if the scenario actually happened that keeps people invested and interested. In this case, it would be what would kids do if adults became the zombies but they were fine. It’s a scenario that remains interesting throughout Daybreak but you can’t help but want the series to remain focused.
Daybreak is set in California, in the small town of Glendale right behind the Hollywood sign. In Glendale an explosion occurs which renders every adult into a zombie, in this world, they’re called Ghoulies and they only remember the last thing they were thinking. The kids, however, remain unharmed. The main story follows Josh Wheeler, an outcast from Canada who has been surviving the apocalypse by himself whilst searching for his true love Sam. He has to start helping others when he runs into some old friends and countless rival tribes.
Its sort of a play on Lord of the Flies meets Ferris Bueller (there are a lot of talking to camera moments…in fact, it’s most of the show) meets the story you’d find in a video game. That last point is part of my issue of the show. The shows aesthetic is really good, its jokes are sometimes hit or miss, it’s references and pop culture in your face moments are pretty on point and some times cringe-worthy. It all adds up to the perfect mixture that you’d rather play through then sit there watching, its the perfect mixture to create a great video game.
As a series, Daybreak starts off well but then begins to lose its ground. At first, the series is focusing on Josh Wheeler but as the episodes go by each episode begins to focus on another character, then another character, then another character and then another character until you start to question as to how much Josh actually cares for his true love Sam anyway. The lack of central focus makes Daybreak lose its spark.
Daybreak starts off really well, a lot better than I had expected to be fair. I blasted through the first few episodes until the series lost it’s central focus and just became like every other show. Daybreak should be focusing on it’s cool and well created main character but seems to think you’d rather see everyone else instead. Everyone else is interesting but not as interesting as the journey you’re invested in once the first two episodes with Josh are over.
Pop culture references, modern-day teen slang and a now much older Matthew Broderick killing it as the trying to be cool principal is what save Daybreak. It isn’t overly violent in your face show but one that lies between being for adults and being for teens. Sometimes its purpose feels confused but that can also be seen as how the characters in the world are confused as well.
Daybreak is a surprisingly good show that manages to take aspects of other great production and make it into its own. it’s downfall isn’t from being cringy like I thought it would be but it’s lack of focus on its central character. Going in I’d hope there would be a big cast with a few characters I liked but at the end of it all, I just wanted more time with its main character because that is when the show shines and stands out from the crowded apocalypse genre.