Review of What We Do in the Shadows (2014) by Tor M — 06 Nov 2016

Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's oddball comedy What We Do in the Shadows is a delightfully bizarre time clearly inspired by the likes of mockumentaries like the 1984 classic This is Spinal Tap.

The deadpan humor tosses plenty of pitches that hit home runs, with very few instances where a joke will fall flat. There's a surprising amount of worldbuilding here for such a small, contained film, but it adds to this film's overall sense of charm and atmosphere.

Waititi and Clement star as well as write/direct, and are so entertaining in roles they clearly have lots of passion behind. The two have completely solidified themselves as underrated comedians to keep an eye on, whether they be in front of or behind the camera.

It's a mesmerizing little film, one whose offbeat sense of humor won't click with everyone, but will really land for viewers with a love for tongue-in-cheek and deadbeat jokes.