What We Do in the Shadows, 2014.
Written and Directed by: Jermaine Clement, Taika Waititi.
Starring: Jermaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Rhys Darby, Jonathan Brugh.
SYNOPSIS:
A New Zealand documentary crew are invited into the home of four flatmates. Being vampires, they’ve found that dressing for the right occasion is impossible, avoiding the main artery is more difficult than it sounds, and getting into nightclubs can be a very frustrating affair.
Certainly one of the funniest films of the year, What We Do in the Shadows is an instantly quotable mockumentary about the lives of the four vampires. Riffing on all the classic horror tropes, it’s unrelentingly funny, and begs repeat viewings, just to make sure you’ve caught all the jokes. Mixing the macabre with the mundane, the characters in What We Do in the Shadows are introduced not tucking into one of their latest victims, rather edging out of their coffins to turn off their alarm and taking on the ‘worst part of their day’ – opening the curtains just enough to make sure the sun isn’t out.
From there, the four flatmates, who have been alive so long that they’re arguably bored with life, squabble about bloody dishes, where to go on a night out, and ponder the question of why vampires choose virgins.
Made up of the incredibly polite Viago, an 18th century dandy who lays down newspaper to catch spilt blood, Vlad the Poker, who has strayed away from torture and orgies to a less stressful life of ‘dark bidding’, Deacon, the ‘young bad boy’ of the group at only 183 years old, and the 8,000 year old Peter, the inspiration for Nosferatu, who actually turned Deacon into a vampire long ago.
The plot, while there isn’t much of one, sees a local documentary crew following them to a secret meeting between vampires, zombies and succubus in Wellington, New Zealand. It’s paper thin, but that only allows the four principals to wax lyrical on everything we’ve ever wondered about vampires – like…why can’t they eat chips? How do they get dressed if they don’t have a reflection, and how do they actually attract victims.
At a lean 86 minutes, the pacing is pin sharp, never once backing down, with another perfectly executed gag just around the corner. You’ll certainly never look at eBay, tracksuits or bouncers again once you’ve left the cinema.
A sharp, character driven comedy, What We Do in the Shadows is certain to find an audience that will Tumblr the hell out of every line and maybe even throw their own secret meetings just to watch it. A surefire cult hit, it’s up there with the best in the genre, nestled neatly between Spinal Tap and Man Bites Dog.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Matthew O’Donnell
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Originally published November 9, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
