# Daybreak (2019)

> A self-absorbed slacker navigates a zombie-infested post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, where high school cliques and gangs fight for survival while he chases the girl of his dreams.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/71212

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 10
- Episode runtime: 48 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: science fiction, comedy, action
- Created by: Aron Eli Coleite, Brad Peyton
- Network: Netflix
- Cast: Colin Ford, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Austin Crute, Krysta Rodriguez, Gregory Kasyan, Sophie Simnett, Matthew Broderick, Cody Kearsley
- TMDB rating: 6.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8755226/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: irreverent, sardonic, breezy, violent, profane

## What critics say

Audiences found the teen zombie apocalypse premise fun and energetic early on, but felt the series lost its footing and ended weakly, leading to a mixed reception and cancellation after one season.

## Synopsis

Daybreak (2019) is an American post-apocalyptic teen comedy series created by Aron Eli Coleite and Brad Peyton for Netflix. Set in a ruined Los Angeles overrun by zombies, it follows slacker Josh Wheeler (Colin Ford) as he tries to win the affections of Samaira 'Sam' Dean (Sophie Simnett) while dodging mindless ghouls and rival cliques. Angelica Green (Alyvia Alyn Lind) and Wesley Fists (Austin Crute) add friction and loyalty to his shifting alliances, and Matthew Broderick appears as Michael Burr. Each episode mixes gang skirmishes, action set pieces and flashbacks to pre-apocalypse high school life, so the show balances romantic bungling with bloody survival. The tone is irreverent and profane, with a sardonic streak and a teen-movie sense of social hierarchy. It ran for a single ten-episode season and was canceled afterward, leaving its story unfinished. Fans of Zombieland, Z Nation and The 100 will find resonance in its mix of humor, apocalyptic peril and teen drama.

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- [School Spirits (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/130374)
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- [Fear the Walking Dead (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/55421)
- [All of Us Are Dead (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/84008)
- [Newtopia (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/151144)
- [Black Summer (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/74753)
- [Z Nation (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/54700)
- [I Would Rather Die (2026)](https://ember.film/tv/1105180)
- [The Tribe (1999)](https://ember.film/tv/2533)
- [Zomvivor (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/137908)

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