Dir. Taika Waititi & Jermaine Clement | Streaming On Prime | Rating: 4/5

My complex relationship with horror comedy trudges onward with this gem by Taika Waititi. My first exposure to this franchise was actually in the American series remake, which didn’t quite land with me. This unpleasant first experience kept me away from the source material and shame on me, because What We Do in the Shadows is a bloody good time. 

Riding off the Office-esque mockumentary style comedy that was all the rage a decade ago, this film follows the daily antics of four kooky vampires. Taika Waititi is one of the best comedic writers in the game and consistently delivers an accessible mixed bag of laughs. WWDITS mixes wordplay, visuals, and slapstick to keep a consistent funny tone throughout the film. 

The acting, especially that of Waititi, is one of the strongest comedic elements of the film. The characters are well fleshed out and entertaining, all while playing on the various genre stereotypes of vampires. I was thoroughly entertained by all of the characters here, but my favorite had to be Petyr, especially when the rest of the cast tried to communicate with him. This film is lighthearted and short. It doesn’t try to tackle any great societal intricacies, except maybe the idea that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, or when you obtain immortality. 

Not all of the humor here ages incredibly well, especially that of Vladislav’s character, which does knock the points here for me. With a tight runtime and clever script, What We Do In the Shadows is one of the strongest horror comedies in the genre and has won itself a rewatch in my book. 

Know Before You Watch: Features death, blood, nudity, sex.