What We Do in the Shadows (2015)
Matt Boiselle
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Starring Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Jonathan Brugh
Directed by Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi
Distributed by Paladin and Unison Films
The lengths I’ll personally go to in order to convince myself that the next horror/comedy will be a colossal failure is pretty extensive – suspension of disbelief, unwillingness to completely enjoy a little goofy humor, and verbally dissecting the characters down to a cellular level are just a few of the sadistic tactics in my toolkit. Knocking it down to a small fragment of itself can become a detriment for the most part, as far as some of the more recent attempts have proven… that is, until I scanned my peepers across What We Do in the Shadows, the latest laugh-fest from directing duo Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi.
The movie follows a quartet of centuries-old vampires, each with their own personalities and hang-ups – we’ve got Viago (Waititi): the bumbling vanity fair dandy, Vladislav (Clement): the brutish playboy of the group, Deacon (Brugh): the rebellious nightstalker, and Petyr (Ben Fransham): a Nosferatu-clone who sleeps in a tomb in the basement of their “home”, a mansion-esque estate that has seen its better days. It still stands to this day, and it is the arena for the everyday bickering and “Real World” like disagreements about undone dishes, messes left in the rooms, and unattended house meetings. Their everyday struggles are legit, and they’re only too willing to discuss them in POV fashion to a camera crew that is tagging along to document the lives of vampires striving to make the most out of their modern surroundings. While the quartet of bloodsuckers live a humbling existence in front of the cameras, showcasing them as the furthest threat imaginable, a new prospect named Nick (Cori-Gonzalez Macuer) is brought in via the noshing fangs of Petyr.
Nick immediately becomes a polarizing entity in the home as he not only learns the ropes but teaches his masters the ins and outs of the modern life like which nightclubs to hit up for fresh victims and introducing his human friend Stu, a computer genius, into the fray. Each and every character plays off of each other to perfection, and it consequently sets up some hilarious instances. For example, the most simple of disagreements between two of the nightcrawlers turns into an amusing mid-air tussle, and Viago just can’t seem to get that jugular spray under control when he bites a potential victim. All along the way in the film we’re treated to not only an historical look at the typical vampire, but a satirical look at their actions as well. It works on a number of levels, and there are more than enough moments that will give you a sore gut from laughing too much.
All in all, these “shadows” provide just the right amount of darkness but contain equal rays of light that will make even the most picky of horror/comedy detractors grin with their fangs out.
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Film
Categorized:Reviews
