What We Do in the Shadows (2014) is a masterful cocktail of the vampire, comedy, and mockumentary genres, a towering achievement for director Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement. The movie's success spawned a TV series of the same name in 2019, this time set in New York's Staten Island rather than the capital city of New Zealand.
The show has proven to be just as successful as the original film. Perhaps more so, because episodic narratives have considerably more space to delve into the nuances that made their predecessor one of the funniest movies of the 21st century. What We Do in the Shadows has maintained its eccentric charm over the course of three seasons without losing a single puff of steam.
7 The Show's Self-Effacing Sense Of Humor
The vampires in What We Do in the Shadows, Nandor the Relentless, Laszlo Cravensworth, Nadja of Antipaxos, and Colin Robinson, are klutzy nincompoops who are totally incapable of taking care of themselves. Guillermo might serve as Nandor's familiar, but he's basically the put-upon butler for the entire household.
The comedic style in What We Do in the Shadows flips between self-aggrandizing and self-effacement. These vampires believe that they're superior to humans, though the story constantly proves that they're not half as intelligent or responsible. Well, except Nadja — unless her perennially reincarnating human lover, Gregor, is involved.
6 Its Refreshing Twist On The Vampire Concept
The four main vampire characters aren't as cool as those in Blade or as attractive as those in the Twilight Trilogy, despite their firm belief otherwise. Laszlo is a pornography addict who later develops an equally bizarre fascination for women's volleyball. Nandor is an ex-tyrant who is currently the cushiest vampire in the series.
Nadja is a firebrand who stores her dead human self's ghost in a doll made in her likeness. And Colin is an energy vampire who enjoys boring everyone else to tears, if not death. None of them exhibit any stereotypical vampiric traits except their biological need to prey on humans for sustenance.
5 The Characters Love Each Other Despite Their Constant Mockery
Seinfeld started the trend of "No hugging, no learning," which forms the basis of several modern TV comedies. It implies that sitcom characters shouldn't waste time on emotional development when they could be making audiences cringe-laugh, instead. The characters in What We Do in the Shadows mock and insult each other non-stop, but the show still manages to evoke heartfelt responses from viewers.
Laszlo and Nadja's marriage has lasted hundreds of years and there's no sign of their relationship flagging. At the same time, Season 3 hints at a potentially romantic connection forming between Nandor and Guillermo that might be explored in the future. Love is all over the place in What We Do in the Shadows, even if it's not obvious at first glance.
4 A Vampire Familiar Trapped Between His Dreams And His Heritage
Familiars, entities who serve vampires hoping to be one themselves, tend to be inconsequential in vampire-themed stories. While Guillermo is a human, Familiars often take a variety of forms, from cats and bats to demons and goblins. The difference is that he's a lot more than a familiar in What We Do in the Shadows.
Guillermo is actually descended from Abraham Van Helsing, the iconic vampire hunter from Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897). His lineage contradicts his childhood dream of becoming a vampire like Armand from Interview with the Vampire (1994). Watching Guillermo struggle to balance the two halves of his personality is nothing less than comedic gold.
3 It Retains The Mockumentary Charm Of Its Predecessor
The TV series follows the mockumentary pattern established in the 2013 movie, although the former bends the rules of the genre a little more with each plotline. The Staten Island "documentary" crew is increasingly involved in the vampires' adventures over the show's three seasons.
Their sound recorder is murdered by Baron Afanas. Two of their crew are left behind in the vampiric council's execution well. They document Guillermo's secret incursion into The Mosquito Collectors of the Tri-State Area (and are later attacked by vampires). The documentary crew even covers Laszlo's experiences in Pennsylvania under the decidedly idiotic alias, Jackie Daytona. This meta-relationship between crew and characters adds an extra layer of humor.
2 Seemingly Endless Roster Of Spectacular Side-Characters
The movie had Stu, a rosy-cheeked IT guy who eventually becomes a werewolf, as well as minor characters like Pauline and Jackie. In comparison, a lot more side characters populate the show, some of who show up in multiple episodes.
There's Sean, Laszlo's best friend and the vampires' discombobulated neighbor, and Jenna, Nadja's Season 1 pet project. Doug Jones plays Baron Afanas, a domineering Old Country vampire patriarch, to hilarious perfection. Nick Kroll's Simon the Devious is the slimy leader of the Manhattanite vampires. And last, but not least, is Kristen Schaal's The Guide, an excellent addition to What We Do in the Shadows' overarching storyline.
1 The Famous Cameos Are Always Worthwhile
Jonathan Brugh, Jemaine Clement, and Taika Waititi reprise their roles as Deacon Brucke, Vladislav the Poker, and Viago von Dorna Schmarten Scheden Heimberg. Others include Mark Hamill as Vampire Jim, Haley Joel Osment as Topher, Craig Robinson as Claude, Benedict Wong as Wallace, among others.
Numerous famous actors also appear in What We Do the Shadows, with many of them playing their real-life selves — Tilda Swinton, Danny Trejo, Evan Rachel Wood, and Wesley Snipes being the most prominent. Fans can only hope that later seasons include more delightful cameos like these.