What We Do in the Shadows

The last thing pop culture needs is another vampire flick. The second-to-last is more reality TV. Leave it to a pack of Kiwis—including Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords fame—to give us both and somehow make vampires and reality TV feel fresh.

What We Do in the Shadows follows four vampires as they prepare for the annual Unholy Masquerade. A camera crew (wearing crucifixes for safety) films the four undead flatmates in their decrepit, bloodstained house and as they cruise the streets at night in primo 19th-century douchewear, pirate coats and leather pants.

Viago (Taika Waititi, who shares writing and directing credits with Clement) slowly rises from his coffin at 6 pm and nervously checks behind the curtain for sunshine. He explains his nighttime ritual to the camera and then leaves to wake his flatmates. Deacon (Jonathan Brugh) is the youngest and lives in the closet. Viago awkwardly interrupts the severe-looking Vladislav (Clement) in the middle of a Coppola-esque threesome. Peter, a hairless 2,000-year-old vampire, lies in a stone coffin in the basement. They then sit down for a meeting to confront Deacon about his unwillingness to do the dishes.

Therein lies What We Do in the Shadows' success: These are not oversexed, unholy demigods; these are petty, childish people who just happen to be vampires. An itemized list of complaints after one of them unwittingly lets a vampire hunter into the house features "Number 3: Deacon doesn't like that you wear the same jacket as him, and we'd like you to find your own style." They prowl the streets trying to get into nightclubs—which proves difficult because vampires have to be invited in. They sketch each other after dressing because vampires don't cast reflections. They want blood, preferably virginal. "Think of it this way: If you were going to eat a sandwich, you would enjoy it more if you knew nobody had fucked it," Vladislav explains.

While other monster films often get bogged down explaining their mythology and origin stories, What We Do in the Shadows trusts you already know this shit. New Zealand's vampire scene is fleshed out. It feels lived in. To quote one frustrated vampire familiar, "It's this big, homoerotic dick-biting club." You'd be hard-pressed to find a more biting and accurate critique of vampiredom.

Critic's Grade: B+

SEE IT: What We Do in the Shadows opens Friday at Cinema 21.

WWeek 2015