Good Movies People Might Have Missed This Year 3: What We Do In The Shadows

Most of this cast will be dead by the end of the film. Because they already are.
Because they are vampires. They're undead. Get it? Yeah you got it.

So what we understand about movies in general is that there is a certain build up and resolve. A hero wants something and works to get it and has this last epic encounter where he shows how much he has grown before defeating his adversary in some way or another. Mainly it is the defeating that matters anyway. As long as something vaguely enemy shaped is clubbed over the head like a seal or any other anything, we're happy as an audience. See Marvel.

Which brings me neatly to What We Do In The Shadows, created by the creators of Flight Of The Conchord's (or more specifically, Jermaine Clement and Taika Waititi), who I feel always despised this clubbing baby seals policy, preferring to go for something more awkward instead, like shaving the baby seals fur off and leaving it confused and wanting to write a letter to it's Seal Mayor. 


And what does this have to do with What We Do In The Shadows? Sort of everything. What We Do In The Shadows follows a similar trend to it's musical predecessor. There are no characters with witty one liners or characters saving the day. For vampires, these characters are fairly mundane; something which in typical Conchordian style is capitalised on to make a film stuffed with laugh out loud moments from the first to the last. 

Being a clean freak vampire is hard.

What We Do In The Shadows is a mockumentary which follows the lives of four vampires living in a flat together, to put it very simply. One is a clean freak, one is a pervert, one is lazy, and one is an eight thousand year old vampire who tears people to ribbons rather then just sucking them dry. All run of the mill so far. Of course I tell a lie, it is a vampire film which becomes run of the mill, in hilarious ways. It is all about vampires cleaning dishes inbetween murdering sprees, about laying newspapers on the floor to stop blood going everywhere during meals. We'll leave you to guess the nature of those meals. 

This is Petyr. He's not as bad as he looks. Although he's pretty awful.

For those who aren't familiar with Flight Of The Conchords I would first tell you to go and look up their songs in particular (Especially 'Issues') and secondly say this; if you liked Drax in Guardians Of The Galaxy you will love this film. Just like Flight Of The Conchords it takes a great joy out of characters being awkward, whether that be in encounters with werewolves, casual chats with vampire hunters or just being introduced to the newer technologies that they have missed through not being able to go out in the daytime. There are no great enemies except troubling social situations, old flames and the occasional chip. No great problems except cleaning schedules and the new guy, because screw the new guy, he's copying my 18th century clothes. Life is hard for these vampires in the same way that it is for everyone else- well thats again not true. But the film makes you feel that way, makes you relate to these characters who are brought down to a human level in this fabulous mockumentary.

So the film creates perfect foundations for some perfectly normal characters who happen to eat people; perfectly relatable characters who drink blood and fly and have sharp fangs. These characters form the base of what is an amazing comedy; no music for the Conchord fans, but plenty more to make you laugh too much for a public place, or smile too much for the London Underground. It is comfortably one of the best films I've seen this year, if not the best. It's clever, awkward comedy is certainly several leagues better then any of the recent flurry (slurry?) of Vampire films. So go watch it and remember: don't swear in front of the werewolves. 
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Available at: I-tunes, Google, Amazon, Sky amongst other places.
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