Review of What We Do in the Shadows (2014) by Drauchdoes2015 — 02 Apr 2015

What We Do in the Shadows instantly establishes itself as one of the best horror-comedies of recent in that it's laughs are achieved while resisting the urge to mock the horror-genre in the easiest way possible.

Horror-spoofs such as The 'Scary Movie' franchise, the 'Haunted House' series, and the seemingly endless churn of garbage from Aaron Seltzer have taken this fatally-obvious approach. They assume the very least of their audiences and attempt at humor that is often obvious, crude, and disgusting, if not flat-out vile and, worst of all, unfunny. If it were not for the very properties that these movies blatantly plagiarize for proverbial recognizability, there would be nothing of initial distinction to even consider for viewing. There is no moral, no substance, no logic, no reason whatsoever. If you feel like you're succumbing to the juvenile urge to see a character from the most recent successful horror-entry defecate in ridiculous scenarios, What We Do in the Shadows could prove to be good medicine for your comedic sensibilities.

Clement and Waititi take a less-cynical, more subtle approach by infusing a ribald silliness with legitimate character detail and situational creativity. What We Do in the Shadows uses the mockumentary format to follow three vampire-stooge flatmates (and one monstrous Nosferatu named 'Peter') living together in an obscure town in modern-day New Zealand. While the majority of the plot is mainly in service of the jokes and plays out pretty melodramatically (albeit mockingly so), the vein of humor (pun unintended) that is tapped into here more than makes up for it's predictability.

One of the ongoing gags that goes over quite well is the absurd juxtaposition of the archaic lifestyle these vampires lead with the newfangled (pun unintended) environment they live in. The constant, ridiculous decor they don (vests, frilly lace) to their over-the-top accents and a distinct lack of technological or societal awareness results in some pretty hilarious, albeit a bit obvious, results. When the movie gives in to the darker vein of comedy we'd come to expect from a film about amoral bloodsuckers is when it truly strikes gold, however. The preparation for drinking a victim by laying out newspapers, the nonsensical explanation as to why the vampires 'prefer virgins', and the constant devaluing of human life altogether, add up to some deliciously bleak vignettes that gives the film some bite (another awful pun, unintended).

Stylistically, I feel that Clement and Waititi borrow much in the way of delivery and execution to 2006's 'Borat'. Much like that comedy masterpiece, the characters here spew nonsensical opinions on their world in such a naive, close-minded way that makes their barbaric behavior despicable, yet hilarious, and allows for subtle commentary on morality that doesn't feel entirely shoe-horned in.

There are plenty of gags that fall flat here, the introduction of another flatmate points the focus of the film unnecessarily on one-note melodrama, and the whole thing begins to feel a bit stale after about the 50-minute mark. Otherwise, What We Do in the Shadows is a thankfully brief, hilariously dark horror-comedy that is a definite recommendation for fans of both. It has fantastic replay value and quotability, and I dare say it's one of the best vampire films to come out in the '10s, period.