What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

My knowledge of vampire movies is extremely limited. The horrible Dracula Untold is the last vampire related movie I’ve seen and I honestly can’t remember the one before that. When I initially heard about this movie I wasn’t interested in seeing it at all. A mockumentary about vampires didn’t sound very appealing to me and I didn’t add it to my “to watch” list. That all changed when a friend of mine showed me the trailer.

What would it look like if vampires were roommates? That’s the question directors Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi (Flight of the Conchords) try to answer, which results in a movie which works really well. Viago, Vladislav, Deacon and Petyr are the four vampires who live together in a house. They have agreed to be the subject of a documentary and have promised the camera crew they won’t try to bite them. They are then followed around to show what day to day life looks like for them. It’s not only about finding victims. They have issues normal people have to deal with as well, like who will be doing the dishes or how they can get into a club (as they need to be invited in) or if they can be friends with humans without eating them. And of course there is the rivalry with werewolves.

 What We Do In the Shadows really is a great comedy, filled with great dialog and funny situations. For example when the vampires learn to use the internet or how one of them doesn’t like cleaning up all the blood when biting his victim and preparing for it with old newspapers. It’s a movie without any boring moments and where you’ll keep wondering what will happen next. If you are a fan of great comedies than this is one you shouldn’t miss, even if you don’t like vampires (like I do).