What We Do in the Shadows (2014, R)

Look, I am just letting my brain follow what it wants to do right now; it’s the only way I can get it to focus on other stuff when I need it to.

As I mentioned when I brought up Harvey Guillén in my Blue Beetle review, I haven’t watched the TV show yet because I wanted to see the movie first, and I decided I wanted to do that sooner rather than later. It’s still not available for free anywhere on streaming, but I was able to buy it for a good price, so I thought why not?

Vladislav, Viago, Deacon, and Peter are four vampires sharing a flat in Wellington, New Zealand. In the months leading up to the Unholy Masquerade, the annual gathering of Wellington’s creatures of the night, the guys have invited a documentary crew into their home for a peek behind the coffin, so to speak. They open up about what it’s like to be a vampire, from managing their familiars’ expectations to the difficulties of enjoying the local nightlife when you can’t enter a club without being invited.

Of the Taika Waititi films I’ve seen so far, this is the most straightforward comedy. There are a few serious/poignant moments, but for the most part, it’s all about the laughs. And while he shares the writing and directing credits with fellow costar Jemaine Clement, I understand that the film was largely improvised.

As such, it has a lot of bits that are held together by a few strings of plot and some ongoing character threads. The biggest story is the introduction of Nick, a new vampire, into the gang. All the guys are worried about Nick’s lack of discretion as he gets used to his new afterlife, and Deacon feels a particular rivalry towards him. This new addition to the group kicks off the major plot points of the film, which stay loose but generally manage to make their way back to a story.

The low-budget indie feel is evident—the wirework whenever one of the vampires flies is especially goofy—but the movie really doesn’t need much in the way of special effects. A huge chunk of the film’s humor comes from the blend of the supernatural and the mundane. We see a flat meeting where Viago complains that Deacon hasn’t done the dishes in five years. The guys explain how tough it is to get ready for a night out when they can’t see their reflections. There are a few clashes with a local werewolf pack, where the vampires dish out insults about crotch-sniffing and chasing sticks. All in all, it’s a good blend of situational humor, goofy banter, and some fun physical comedy and sight gags.

I really enjoy Waititi as Viago, a fussy eighteenth-century dandy who struggles in vain to keep the other guys on task. Jemaine Clement is good as the imperious, jaded Vladislav. (Side note: I recently started watching Flight of the Conchords, but before that, I knew Clement best as Oliver on Legion and the voice of Tamatoa in Moana.) I wasn’t familiar with Jonathan Brugh or Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, but they’re both a lot of fun as Deacon and Nick, and Stu Rutherford is a deadpan hoot as Nick’s human friend Stu. Rhys Darby (Stede!!!) is hilarious in his brief role as a werewolf alpha male, and for another Our Flag Means Death connection, there’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance from Madeleine Sami (a.k.a. Archie from season 2.)

Warnings

Cartoonish violence, language (including homophobic slurs,) sexual references, drinking, and thematic elements.