It's Impossible to Kill the Comedy At Stake in This Vampire Romp

Rating: 8/10 (21 November 2018)

The mid-00s saw the rise of reality-TV style comedies, chiefly with the popularity of the British and American versions of "The Office", which involved humor based around awkward situations, misunderstandings, and petty social drama rather than the more plot-driven style of a traditional sitcom. "What We Do in The Shadows" by New Zealand-based director Taika Waititi answers the absurd question of what if that dynamic and style was applied to vampires and the world of the supernatural?
Full disclosure: I'm not the biggest fan of horror in general (with some exceptions), and certainly not a fan of vampires. The vampire concept, its romanticization, and how seriously the vampire sub-genre takes itself has always made it a ripe target for satire and comedy, with Leslie Nielsen and Mel Brooks doing a great job of mocking it in "Dracula: Dead and Loving It". Waititi's project takes that same satirical spirit and plants it in the modern aesthetic, with plenty of hand-held camerawork and confessional cam scenes that you've seen on your favorite garbage reality shows.
It's expertly executed, and after close to a decade of vomit-inducing Twilight sequels and vampire fetishizing, sorely needed. "What We Do.." shows vampires from what's arguably the most realistic viewpoint ever seen on film, with daily (nightly?) routines filled with their own unique mundane frustrations and challenges, as well as social complications like who to convert to a vampire, and who to simply prey upon. You can tell watching it that the crew improvised a great deal, and the whole production has an organic, natural energy to it filled with fun.
"What We Do" doesn't completely stilt itself on gags, goofiness, and satire though. It has surprisingly well-done special effects and gore scenes, and also draws effective portraits of all the characters, and develops them in their own silly, petty, and sometimes surprisingly endearing ways.
I think Taiki Waititi struck gold with this concept and applying such a pedestrian mood to what's supposed to be terrifying. It's not perfect, and towards the end of the second act of the film, at least on my first viewing, it began to drag and stretch a little, with the concept starting to wear thin in places. Luckily, there's enough of a story arc to bring you back in, and it wraps up neatly before it feels stale. Overall, even if you don't have the contempt and fatigue from vampires I do, even if you love them in fact, I would recommend "What We Do.." Because copies, homages, inspiration, and blatant rip-offs are so common in the film industry, one of the only things I'm worried about is other filmmakers, especially Hollywood-types, borrowing the concept from this production and trying to pass it off as clever and original, since no major Hollywood stars feature in "What We Do..." and it might not have as high of a profile. Or even worse, a remake. Now the thought of that is truly terrifying.