What We Do in the Shadows

Plot Synopsis: A documentary team films the lives of a group of vampires for a few months. The vampires share a house in Wellington, New Zealand. Turns out vampires have their own domestic problems too.

This is how you do a mockumentary. The protagonists, Vladislav, Viago, Deacon, Nick and Petyr, do a great job of representing stereotypical vampires found in media from Nosferatu to Twilight. What I love is that this film has a real “hang out with the boys” type feel to it. We get to watch them passive-aggressively argue over whose turn it is to do the dishes, hit up the clubs for victims (Vladislav’s explanation as to why vampires prefer their victims to be virgins had me in tears) and see how they deal with their archrivals, the werewolves.

Nick provides the perfect view of the ups and downs of vampiric life from the perspective of a new vampire. The way the film handles Stu, a typical mortal person and Nick’s best friend, is perfect. His reactions (and the reactions of everyone that interacts with him) are so well done. Finding out that the person who portrayed him is not an actor and did not know he was going to be a major part of the film until they began filming is icing on the cake.

Overall the deadpan humor is done very well, a type of comedy that can be really hit or miss. What I enjoyed most is that even though it is an obvious comedy it always has a dark undertone. A great example is when Viago, the more sensitive of the vampires, is seen dating/getting his victim ready, I can’t help but laugh and at the same time actually feel bad for the victim.

What We Do in the Shadows is not only worth seeing but worth owning. I see myself popping this in when I don’t know what to watch or when I need a good laugh. It also makes me want to wear more puffy shirts.

My Rating:

Five Stars- Buy it/Own it because it's worth seeing multiple times.

Four Stars- See it in theaters. 

Three Stars- Make the effort to seek it out online/rent it.

Two Stars- Watch it if it randomly comes on TV, don’t make effort to find it.

One Star- Avoid at all costs.

Where you can stream it.

What We Do in the Shadows Trailer: