Hilarious Mockumentary on the New Zealand Undead Scene

Rating: 9/10 (14 March 2016)

Who doesn't live a good mockumentary? Plenty of people, I suppose, but I'm not here on their behalf and I enjoy them. WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS comes from Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement and is presented as a sort of undead version of MTV's "The Real World". A team of documentarians, wearing crucifixes and given the solemn promise that none of them would be eaten, enters the New Zealand flat of four vampires to give perspective on their day-to-day lives, culminating in an annual gathering of the local undead chapters (including witches and zombies) to celebrate the Unholy Masquerade. As the film opens, we are introduced to its subjects: Viago (Waititi), Vladislav (Clement), Deacon (Jonny Brugh), and Petyr (Ben Fransham) a group of friendly vampires whose lives span multiple centuries. We join them as they handle chore distribution, engage in the local Wellington nightlife, feed on the unsuspecting populace, and harass the local werewolves. They appear to have a pretty good handle on things until one of their intended meals escapes and returns months later to reveal that, thanks to an overzealous Petyr, he's been turned into a vampire. Nick (Cori Gonzalez-Macuer) forms an uneasy friendship with the flatmates, primarily because his human friend Stu (Stu Rutherford) is a pretty cool guy, but he's having a hard time grasping the subtleties of being undead and his boisterous nature brings a world of trouble for this group of bloodsuckers who are just trying to live peaceful lives as ancient vampires in a modern world.
Personally, I found this movie to be loads of fun and have enormous replay value. I've seen it a few times now and I laugh just as hard each time. I'll admit, I get some extra enjoyment from the film because a few of my friends are in to vampire LARPing (live-action roleplay) and I can't help but think of them every time. WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS has fun with all of the classic vampire clichés we've come to expect since the time of Dracula. We've grown so accustomed to vampires (in movies, anyhow) being cool, sexy, and flawless but this movie gives us a much more flawed, realistic approach. Why should vampirism automatically make someone supernaturally cool? Viago is a nineteenth-century dandy with an effeminate nature and a frustration over how his flatmates can't be bothered to lay towels down when draining their victims on his furniture. With the exception of Petyr (a traditional Nosferatu living in the basement), Vlad is the eldest vampire and obviously based more on the Dracula lore. He once prided himself on his shape-shifting abilities but he's been out of practice since a humiliating defeat at the hands of his arch-nemesis long ago. And then Deacon, while not as old as Vlad or (I believe) as young as Viago, seems to the have the more modern sensibilities. He's an unabashed slob, failing to complete his chores and often shoveling them off onto his poor familiar Jackie (Jackie van Beek) while dragging her along with promises of immortality.
From everything I've seen and read from behind the scenes, most of WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS was improvised by the cast with a skeletal script just to give the story some structure. As much as I enjoy the films of Judd Apatow and his circle, compare them to what was accomplished here. This film is riotously funny from the opening moments with Viago's alarm going off at 6PM with hardly a moment over the entire 90 minutes that let's up the pace. And it was mostly accomplished on-set, in front of the cameras, with the cast riffing off one another. I love that. I love that the effects are cheap but charmingly so. When these guys fly, it's clumsy. Not necessarily because the characters can't control their flight but because the actors are lifted on wires and it's hard to control and they roll with it. Viago and Deacon get into a heated argument in the flat meeting at the beginning of the movie and launch into the air to get in each other's faces; just watch how sloppy Viago's landing is when he returns to his seat. It's little bits like that that give me added enjoyment. WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS is one of the funniest movies of 2015 and I wish it had gotten more attention so we could ensure these guys return for more of their off-kilter brand of humor. Big recommend from me.