The best mockumentary in years

Rating: 8/10 (5 January 2016)

For years, Christopher Guest ("This Is Spinal Tap," "Best in Show") was the creator and sole proprietor of mockumentaries, but New Zealanders Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement ("Flight of the Concords") have left their mark on the genre with "What We Do in the Shadows," a feature-length version of their 2005 short film that centers of three vampires who live in Wellington as flatmates.
Viago (Waititi), Deacon (Jonny Brugh) and Vladislav (Clement) are all vampires born various centuries ago who found their way to an old house in New Zealand where they live with the Nosferatu-esque vampire Petyr (Ben Fransham) in the basement. They deal with typical roommate issues like who isn't pulling their weight cleaning blood off the dishes and helping each other figure out what to wear to the bars at night because they can't see themselves in a mirror.
This down-to-earth, contemporary portrayal of vampires makes "Shadows" one of the better and most original riffs on a sub-genre that over the last 10 years has been sucked dry, pun intended. The characters are just dudes who happen to like frilly Gothic shirts and need blood to survive, and life can be as awkward for them as it is for humans, just in (very) different ways.
This conceit really drives the success of the film and provides a focus for the actors' improvisation. Waititi, Brugh and Clement all create distinctive characters whose personalities extend beyond their vampire characteristics. They are all somehow relatable despite being larger than life and totally peculiar.
The story deals in both real-world realms like Wellington nightclubs and imagined ones such as the secret subcultures of vampires and other classical creatures, including werewolves. Simultaneously, it caters to fans of these sub-genres and to fans of contemporary comedy. It's a smooth blend that works surprisingly well, though the plot isn't nearly as compelling as waiting for whatever clever bit might come next.
Equally well-incorporated are the use of practical and visual effects. Waititi and Clement employ both judiciously and effectively and it earns the film its horror stripes alongside the more immediately apparent comedic ones.
"Shadows" does dip into silly B-movie habits that it shouldn't feel compelled to resort to, but the wit, talent and clever dialogue keeps it elevated from similar low- budget horror comedy efforts.
~Steven C
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