Ben Oliver

Banner image for What We Do in the Shadows
film

What We Do in the Shadows

Yeah some of our clothes are from victims. You might bite someone and then, you think, ‘Oooh, those are some nice pants!’.
02 February 2016

A documentary crew gets access to a group of vampire flat-mates based in Wellington, New Zealand. We follow their day to day lives and exploits.

Put simply, What We Do in the Shadows is 90 minutes of sustained hilarity in the form of dry humour, fresh ideas and character-based comedy. Clement and Waititi never let the idea get old, which is no mean feat.

The camera doesn’t waver as we see the group go about their business. That ranges from sitting down in a flat meeting discussing who washes the dishes, to biting someone the wrong way and panicking as blood shoots out across the room. It’s all put on the same deadpan plane, which makes the whole film a bizarre experience.

What We Do in the Shadows had me laughing so hard I had to pause the tape on a few occasions. It’s not for everyone but the surreal, socially awkward characters seen through the unflattering lens of a documentary struck a chord. One of the funniest films I have seen in a very long time.

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