Composer:
Plan 9Cast:
Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Jonny Brugh, Rhys Darby, Cohen Holloway, Chelsie Preston Crayford, Elena Stejko, Emma Draper, Duncan Sarkies (more)Plots(1)
Flatmates Viago (Taika Waititi), Deacon (Jonny Brugh), and Vladislav (Jemaine Clement) are three vampires who are just trying to get by in modern society; from paying rent and sticking to the housework roster to trying to get invited in to nightclubs, they’re just like anyone else - except they’re immortal and must feast on human blood. When their 8000 year-old flatmate, Petyr, turns 20-something human hipster, Nick, into a vampire, the guys must teach him the ropes and guide him through his new found eternal life. And in return they are forced to learn a thing or two about modern society, fashions and technology. But it’s the introduction of Nick’s human friend, Stu, that really changes the vampire’s lives and attitudes towards the ever-changing world around them. When Stu’s life is threatened, the vamps show us that maybe humans are worth fighting for, and that even though your heart may be cold and dead, it doesn’t mean you can’t feel anything. (Madman Entertainment)
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Reviews (11)
I love it. It has its flaws, and the trio of über-cool vampires have their weaker moments in the middle, but it's impossible not to love this peculiar documentary (sorry, mockumentary). Waititi and Clement took it all the way and serve the viewer with a uniquely funny and detailed cross-section of vampire mythology, in which they manage to present all the otherwise stale motifs about sleeping in coffins or burning in the sunlight in an original and effective way, so that the story doesn't just run on quick gags – each supporting character has an important role to play in terms of revealing the whole well thought-out fictional world or the adaptation of the vampires to modern times. The whole thing would certainly work best as a multi-part sitcom, and I’m giving it 5* mainly due to my innate sympathy for Waititi's sense of humour, but it's still great fun and, from a certain point of view, a fountain of wisdom – the housemates' problems around washing and cleaning up reflect quite faithfully the cohabitation of university students in a shared flat. I could tell a story or two myself.
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I can’t think of any other word than “genius”. What We Do in the Shadows is an absolutely genius parody that earnestly makes fun of vampires and, here and there, werewolves. Not of particular movies or particular characters, just vampires in and of themselves. And after watching some of the scenes, I believe that they’ll become legendary, granted that the movie makes its way into the world. Who would have thought that it was filmed by New Zealand authors? I watched this for the Challenge Tour 2015.
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A documentary about a community of undead in New Zealand. I didn't really feel like watching it, but the very first minute made me change my mind. The budget was obviously not huge, but it made the film all the better. I haven't had such a blast in a long time. I was even sorry it was over. All the characters were great, but Vlad and Jackie were my favorites. Great entertainment that I recommend to almost everyone.
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This is what happens when I watch an arthouse, festival, cheaply made and uninteresting bore for intellectuals after a perfect comedy. What We Do in Shadows may have an interesting idea, looking at vampires from a different point of view is good, but I didn’t find the film entertaining or even funny at all. As soon as I don't laugh even once during a comedy that has a clear 82%, something is wrong. 3* very reluctantly for those four slit throats.
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A comedy from beyond the grave, which, however, respects almost every conceivable rule of the vampire genre and is all the better for it. Vampires don't like to wash dishes, they wipe dust by dragging lifeless bodies, they can't play musical instruments much, and they also snort quite terribly when they go out into society, but who wouldn't want to become one of them after the end credits? Perhaps only a flea-filled werewolf.
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