Nosferatu, Dracula, Edward Cullen. These are some of the most popular figures that come up when talking about vampires. “What We Do In the Shadows” turns the classic image of vampires on its head and replaces it with the quirky lives of Viago (Taika Waititi, “Green Lantern”), Deacon (Jonathan Brugh, “How to Meet Girls from a Distance”) and Vladislav (Jemaine Clement, “Flight of the Conchords”). Clement and Waititi, who play Vladislav and Viago respectively, direct, write and star in this hilariously clever film.
Although they are immortal, the trio’s lives are more mundane than most humans. They sit around and watch white noise on television. They don’t know what to wear because they can’t see their reflections, and their largest arguments center on whose turn it is to do the dishes. They are just average guys from New Zealand who just happen to be vampires, and that relatability is what makes them so irresistible.
In the opening shot, a digital alarm clock goes off and a hand struggles to turn it off from a coffin before groggily levitating out to greet the camera crew. The film offers a more complex look than the standard supernatural tropes. When the vampires ask their servant to bring people to the house for them to eat, they ask for virgins simply because “it sounds cool.” Using what would normally be considered an overdone genre, this vampire “mockumentary” gives a refreshing spin on the standard vampire story.
From the handheld camera work to the characters’ personalities, the film doesn’t take itself too seriously. Viago, a 379 year-old dorky neat freak, introduces the audience to the other members of the house. Vladislav is an 862 year-old ladies man with insecurity issues and their third roommate Deacon is the self-proclaimed bad boy and youngest of the group at 183 years old. The two vampires also live with Petyr, their 8,000 year old roommate who sleeps in the basement all day.
Each character is well developed and has a moment in the spotlight, including Petyr who doesn’t say anything during the entire movie but still manages to be adorable in a way only vampires could be. The juxtaposition of the group’s perception of itself in comparison to that of the viewer’s is comical. The group thinks they blend in with the townspeople in their medieval garb, even when people on the street point and shout “Vampire!” at them. When they go “hit the clubs,” they take public transportation to get there and then end up in an empty bar because no one will invite them in anywhere. Throughout the film other supernatural creatures like werewolves and zombies, as well as a loveable computer analyst named Stu.
“What We Do In the Shadows” is a hilarious horror comedy that’s not afraid to make fun of itself with campy blood splattering and absurd lines told in a deadpan manner.
