Director: Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement
Starring: Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement, Jonathan Brugh, Ben Fransham, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, Rhys Darby
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 85 minutes
Extras: Deleted Scenes, Behind The Shadows, Promo Videos, Video Extras, Original Short Film
Like many, I am sick and tired of the slew of supernatural films that’ve been released post-TWILIGHT, TWILIGHT included. However, WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS has managed to change my stubborn mind, so much so that this’ll be the film I recommend to everyone from now on!
Meet our four main characters: Viago, aged 379 (Waititi), Vladislav, aged 862 (Clement), Deacon, aged 183 (Brugh), and Petyr, aged 8,000 (Fransham). They’re vampires living together in a ‘flatting situation’ who have invited a documentary crew into their world to discover what it’s really like to live as one of the undead. From feeding on the living to keeping their home clean, Viago and his friends reveal all to the cameras, including what happens when they bump into a rival werewolf gang.
Written and directed by Waititi and Flight Of The Conchords star Clement, fans of the show will already understand and anticipate the flavour of comedy WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS will bring – dark, witty, clever, sly – and it does not disappoint. Following in the same style as other mockumentaries released over the years, the film proves that you can take the most surreal, silliest topic and turn it into a believable subject.
Waititi, Clement and Brugh are hilarious as our main trio, each with their own unique characteristics and tastes making them stand out from one another. Even Fransham as Count Orlok lookalike Petyr – who doesn’t say a single word throughout – brings the comedy with his ridiculous teeth and creepy appearance. While other directors may have lost their way, turning the vampires into boring cliches, Waititi and Clement keep it funny and exciting from beginning to end, even proving that different ‘species’ of supernatural beings can (eventually) be friends.
WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS is the perfect example of what happens when genius comedy minds come together and create something that’s… well, genius.
[usr=5] WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS is released on DVD from Monday 13th April 2015.
Considering Jazmine grew up watching CARRY ON SCREAMING, THE LION KING and JURASSIC PARK on repeat for weeks on end, it made sense for her to study film at London South Bank University. It’s also a good thing that her course requires a lot of sitting down because she’s very accident-prone. When she’s not examining her bruises, she likes pretending that she doesn’t live in Southend-On-Sea and spends hours mindlessly blogging. Favourite films include BLUE VALENTINE, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND and TOY STORY 2.
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