When immortal bloodsuckers trade capes for council flats, the horror of eternity becomes a riot of domestic dysfunction.
In the pantheon of vampire cinema, few films have injected such irreverent life into the undead as What We Do in the Shadows (2014), a mockumentary masterpiece that skewers the genre’s solemn tropes with Kiwi wit. Directed by and starring Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, this vampire comedy captures the absurdity of eternal life amid mundane flat-sharing woes. Yet, to fully appreciate its comedic bite, one must contrast it with contemporaries like Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive (2013), where vampires brood in melancholic elegance. Together, these films redefine bloodlust, blending laughter with longing in unexpected ways.
- The mockumentary format that transforms vampire clichés into hilarious household squabbles, humanising monsters through petty rivalries.
- Explorations of immortality’s tedium, from flat-cleaning disputes to werewolf tensions, revealing profound truths beneath the farce.
- A lasting influence on vampire portrayals, bridging slapstick horror with arthouse introspection for a genre refresh.
Fangs in the Fridge: A Synopsis of Suburban Bloodshed
The film unfolds as a fly-on-the-wall documentary following four vampires cohabiting in modern-day Wellington, New Zealand. Viago (Taika Waititi), a dandyish 19th-century fop obsessed with punctuality and tea rituals, shares a creaky Victorian house with Vladislav (Jemaine Clement), a brooding powerhouse haunted by a nemesis known as the Beast; Deacon (Jonathan Brugh), the rebellious punk of the group sporting nipple tassels; and Petyr (Ben Fransham), a 8,000-year-old Nosferatu-like relic who slumbers in a stone coffin amid cobwebs. Their undead existence revolves around petty disputes over chores, fashion faux pas, and failed hunts, all captured with deadpan sincerity.
Chaos erupts with the arrival of Nick (Cori Gonzalez-Macuer), a hapless human turned vampire by Petyr after a casual bite. Nick’s brash adaptation to immortality brings viral fame via selfies with undead celebs, straining flat dynamics. Meanwhile, Viago’s familiar, Stu (Stu Rutherford), films their antics, while werewolf pack leader Anton (Rhys Darby) enforces a fragile truce. The narrative escalates through a vampire council tribunal, graveyard rumbles with werewolves, and a police raid gone awry, culminating in Nick’s banishment for his modern indiscretions. Every scene pulses with escalating absurdity, from mock fights with sunlight lamps to transylvanian accents clashing with Kiwi slang.
This detailed chronicle avoids mere slapstick by weaving in horror nods: familiar victims strangled post-bite, zombie-like thralls cleaning bloodstains, and ancient grudges resurfacing in viral videos. The film’s genius lies in its rhythm, alternating mundane irritations with bursts of gothic violence, making eternity feel like an endless lockdown.
Mockumentary Bite: Subverting the Supernatural
By adopting the mockumentary style pioneered in films like This Is Spinal Tap (1984), What We Do in the Shadows dismantles vampire mythology’s gravitas. Interviews with talking heads reveal backstories laced with pathos—Viago’s unrequited love for a portrait subject, Vladislav’s impotence against the Beast—turning icons of terror into relatable losers. This format, shot with handheld cameras and naturalistic lighting, grounds the supernatural in the everyday, much like The Office humanises office drudgery.
Cinematographer Robert Steele’s work excels in confined spaces, using wide-angle lenses to cram coffins and cramped kitchens, emphasising claustrophobia. Shadows play dual roles: literal for vampire lore and metaphorical for interpersonal darkness. The film’s pacing mirrors flatmate tensions, building to explosive set pieces like the werewolf brawl, where practical stunts amplify comedy through commitment to the bit.
In contrast, Only Lovers Left Alive employs languid long takes and ambient soundscapes to evoke vampire ennui, with Tilda Swinton’s Eve drifting through Tangier like a ghost. Jarmusch’s vampires shun modernity’s glare, indulging in rare blood and Rachmaninoff records, their romance a quiet rebellion against decay. Where Shadows revels in chaos, Lovers whispers of isolation, highlighting comedy’s power to pierce immortality’s veil.
Domestic Draculas: Character Arcs and Performances
Viago’s fastidiousness masks vulnerability, his familiar-servitude scenes evoking class satire on servitude in the undead hierarchy. Waititi’s precise comic timing shines in lines like his etiquette lectures mid-murder. Clement’s Vladislav embodies faded glory, his magic failures eliciting sympathy amid laughs, a performance rooted in physical comedy and deadpan delivery.
Deacon’s slovenliness sparks chore wars, symbolising generational undead rifts, while Petyr’s minimalism offers silent menace. Nick’s arc critiques social media’s soul-suck, his fall from grace a cautionary tale. Rhys Darby’s Anton steals scenes with pack loyalty antics, his transformation effects blending horror homage with farce.
Performances draw from improvisational roots, with cast chemistry forged in theatre troupes like Flight of the Conchords. This ensemble dynamic elevates stereotypes, infusing empathy into archetypes long calcified in cinema.
Sonic Stakes: Sound Design’s Bloody Symphony
Sound designer Shayne Olray crafts an auditory horror-comedy hybrid. Exaggerated stabs for bites, cartoonish whooshes for flights, and mundane Kiwi accents underscore absurdity. The soundtrack mixes classical motifs with Flight of the Conchords tracks, bridging eras.
Silence amplifies tension in council scenes, where echoing chambers mimic gothic halls. Werewolf howls distort into dubstep, satirising youth culture. This design not only cues laughs but echoes thematic boredom, silence between kills mirroring flatmate standoffs.
Practical Fangs: Special Effects That Stick
Creature effects by Weta Workshop alumni utilise prosthetics for Nosferatu decay and werewolf fur, favouring tangible gore over CGI. Nick’s transformation employs practical appliances for bloating veins, enhancing visceral comedy. Flight sequences use wires and compositing seamlessly, nodding to Hammer Horror techniques.
Blood squibs burst realistically during fights, with cornstarch vampires crumbling photogenically. These effects ground the fantasy, allowing gags like sunlight disintegration to land with explosive timing. Compared to Only Lovers‘ subtle aging makeup, Shadows’ bold prosthetics celebrate horror’s tactile legacy.
The effects team’s ingenuity shines in low-budget constraints, proving practical magic trumps digital gloss for comedic impact.
Behind the Blood: Production Perils and Triumphs
Shot guerrilla-style in Wellington nights, the production dodged council permits, mirroring vampire secrecy. Waititi and Clement self-financed initially, crowdfunding via humour. Casting locals infused authenticity, with Brugh’s improv elevating Deacon.
Censorship dodged via comedy, though gore tested ratings. Post-release, sequels and TV spin-offs ensued, cementing cult status. Influences span Fright Night (1985) comedies to Let the Right One In (2008) pathos.
Eternal Echoes: Legacy and Genre Ripples
What We Do in the Shadows spawned a 2019 FX series, expanding lore with new flatmates. Its success revitalised vampire comedies post-Twilight saturation, paving for Vampires vs. the Bronx (2020). Critically, it earned cult acclaim, influencing undead satires.
Juxtaposed with Only Lovers Left Alive‘s Oscar nods for score, it proves vampires thrive in duality: farce and finesse. Both films critique modernity’s zombification, Shadows via laughs, Lovers via lament.
Their combined impact underscores comedy’s role in horror evolution, making immortals mirror our fleeting absurdities.
Director in the Spotlight
Taika Waititi, born Tai Whaka-hoe Waititi on 16 August 1975 in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington), New Zealand, to a Rongowhakaata iwi mother and Irish-Scots father, grew up immersed in Māori culture and cinema. A former stand-up comedian and painter, he studied theatre at Victoria University before directing shorts like Two Cars, One Night (2003), which won an Oscar nomination. His breakthrough came with Eagle vs Shark (2007), a rom-com starring Clement, honing his quirky style.
Waititi’s career exploded with What We Do in the Shadows (2014, co-directed with Clement), blending horror parody with heart. He followed with Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), a box-office hit lauded for Sam Neill’s performance. Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok (2017) showcased his visual flair and humour, grossing over $850 million. Jojo Rabbit (2019), his Oscar-winning satire on Nazism with Hitler as imaginary friend, starred Scarlett Johansson and earned Best Adapted Screenplay.
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) continued his MCU tenure, while Next Goal Wins (2023) explored football underdogs. Influences include Powell and Pressburger, Spike Lee, and Jacques Tati; Waititi champions indigenous stories, directing Reservation Dogs episodes. Upcoming: Star Wars film and Korg spin-off. His filmography reflects whimsical humanism amid spectacle.
Key works: Boy (2010) – semi-autobiographical Māori coming-of-age; Gunner Palace co-direction (2004) – Iraq War doc; Free Fire producer (2016) – Tarantino-esque shootout; voice in Free Guy (2021).
Actor in the Spotlight
Jemaine Clement, born 10 January 1974 in Masterton, New Zealand, endured a peripatetic childhood across housing commissions before discovering comedy at Victoria University. With Bret McKenzie, he formed Flight of the Conchords, their HBO series (2007-2009) earning Emmy nods for folk-parody songs and deadpan sketches.
Clement’s film debut in Eagle vs Shark (2007) led to What We Do in the Shadows (2014), where his Vladislav blended menace and pathos. Megasheep wait, notable roles include Gentlemen Broncos (2009) as sci-fi author; Dinner for Schmucks (2010) with Steve Carell; People Places Things (2015). In Moana (2016), he voiced Tamatoa, the crab villain.
TV highlights: Legion (2017-2018) as mad scientist; What We Do in the Shadows series (2019-) reprising vampires. Directorial efforts include People Places Things. Awards: Air New Zealand Screen Award for Conchords. Influences: Monty Python, Christopher Guest mockumentaries.
Comprehensive filmography: Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (2017, doc narrator); Shadow in the Cloud (2020, voice); DC League of Super-Pets (2022, villain); upcoming Mufasa: The Lion King (2024, voice).
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Bibliography
Clement, J. and Waititi, T. (2014) What We Do in the Shadows DVD commentary. Wellington: Madman Entertainment.
Erickson, H. (2016) The Vampire Film: From Nosferatu to True Blood. Jefferson: McFarland & Company.
Hudson, S. (2015) ‘Immortal Flatmates: Comedy in Contemporary Vampire Cinema’, Senses of Cinema, 74. Available at: https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2015/feature-articles/what-we-do-in-the-shadows/ (Accessed: 15 October 2024).
Jarmusch, J. (2014) Interview: Only Lovers Left Alive. Sight & Sound, British Film Institute, May.
Mathijs, E. and Mendik, X. (2019) The Cult Film Reader. 2nd edn. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Waititi, T. (2020) ‘Directing the Undead’, Empire, 392, pp. 78-82.
Wetmore, K. J. (2017) The Empire Triumphant: Race, Religion and Rebellion in the Star Wars Films. Jefferson: McFarland (contextual influences).