What We Do in the Shadows

Name: What We Do in the Shadows
Genre: Horror, Comedy
Released: February 13, 2015
Duration: 86 min
Rating: 76
Cast: Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, Jemaine Clement, Jonathan Brugh, Taika Waititi

2015

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 33 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 307 Ratings

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7.8

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7.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 307 Ratings

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What We Do In The Shadows

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Movie Details & Credits

Unison Films | Release Date: February 13, 2015 | Not Rated

Starring: Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, Jemaine Clement, Jonathan Brugh, Taika Waititi

Summary: Follow the lives of Viago (Taika Waititi), Deacon (Jonathan Brugh), and Vladislav (Jemaine Clement) - three flatmates who are just trying to get by and overcome life's obstacles-like being immortal vampires who must feast on human blood. Hundreds of years old, the vampires are finding that beyond sunlight catastrophes, hitting the mainFollow the lives of Viago (Taika Waititi), Deacon (Jonathan Brugh), and Vladislav (Jemaine Clement) - three flatmates who are just trying to get by and overcome life's obstacles-like being immortal vampires who must feast on human blood. Hundreds of years old, the vampires are finding that beyond sunlight catastrophes, hitting the main artery, and not being able to get a sense of their wardrobe without a reflection, modern society has them struggling with the mundane like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel, trying to get into nightclubs, and overcoming flatmate conflicts.… Expand

Director: Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi

Genre(s): Horror, Comedy

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 86 min

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Critic Reviews

Jeff Baker

Jul 14, 2015

The tone -- deadpan, wistful, silly but never stupid -- is just right and puts What We Do in the Shadows next to "This Is Spinal Tap" as a mockumentary that shows its subjects as human -- in this case, inhuman -- in their hopes and fears. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Simon Abrams

Feb 13, 2015

An irrepressibly charming B-movie that never over-stays its welcome, and is both conceptually clever and admirably well-executed. Read full review

Empire Dan Jolin

Nov 18, 2014

Here it is at long last: a truly great vampire comedy. And also the funniest horror film to come out of New Zealand since Braindead. Read full review

David Edelstein

Feb 13, 2015

Clement and Waititi are intimate with the conventions of vampire movies and reality TV and must have had a crazy-great time blending the unblendable in the best SCTV tradition. But it’s the absence of camp that I keep coming back to. They scale it down and play it real. They’re undeadpan. Read full review

Peter Travers

Feb 11, 2015

Here's a vampire movie for people who don’t like vampire movies. What We Do in the Shadows is packed with laughs, almost all of them are intentional. Read full review

Peter Keough

Feb 19, 2015

“Shadows” has its share of lines that will be repeated by fans ad infinitum (a favorite: “Yes, now Google it”). Read full review

Rob Nelson

Nov 18, 2014

Some genre fans who prefer the silly to the satiric may bite, but the anemic pic isn’t remotely weird or witty enough for cult immortality. Read full review

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User Reviews

TrilobiteG

Jun 13, 2015

Nothing about this film feels wasted or lost. It feels like a realistic documentary, but the comedy is so well thought out, that it gives that slight awkwardness that makes it laugh out loud hilarious. Every character has a gimmick or trait that makes them likeable and it is a uniqueNothing about this film feels wasted or lost. It feels like a realistic documentary, but the comedy is so well thought out, that it gives that slight awkwardness that makes it laugh out loud hilarious. Every character has a gimmick or trait that makes them likeable and it is a unique approach to horror comedies itself without poor puns and jump scares.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

geewah

Jan 23, 2021

Brilliant. One of the best movies of 2015.
This witty mockumentary greatest strength is the deadpan manner in which the jokes delivered.
Up there with Spinal Tap as the best of this genre.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

markymark

Feb 13, 2015

Very funny and completely rewatchable and quotable. Not everyone will find this funny, but if you enjoy intelligent, somewhat silly but understated character-based humour you will adore this,

4 of 6 users found this helpful42

grindtree

Jan 23, 2016

Okay, this is definitely one of the best comedy ever!! A must see! IMHO, it deserves a spot in the top 10 funniest movie of all time..
Creative hilarious script, brilliant acting, in short it is a very impressive indie movie..

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

GrantD243

Jun 20, 2018

What We Do in the Shadows was definitely something I didn't expect. I knew it was a comedy, but I didn't know it was a comedy done in the form of a fake documentary! It was a nice surprise and it was such a fun movie to watch. I really enjoyed the story, which follows a group of vampires whoWhat We Do in the Shadows was definitely something I didn't expect. I knew it was a comedy, but I didn't know it was a comedy done in the form of a fake documentary! It was a nice surprise and it was such a fun movie to watch. I really enjoyed the story, which follows a group of vampires who are living in modern day New Zealand, and the comedy was great. I also really appreciated how they didn't drag out the movie. It's a very lean 85 minutes, and if it had gone any longer I think it would have started to crash and burn, primarily because it had already started to lose quite a bit of steam by about the 70 minute mark. But despite not enjoying the ending quite as much as I would have liked, I still think What We Do in the Shadows is a comedy that definitely deserves to be on your watch list.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Rox22

Sep 4, 2022

A pretty funny mockumentary. Mostly low budget and sub-par acting, but that kinda makes it feel a little genuine. You can almost believe this is real, or a realistic take on vampires in the real world. No sparkles or over the top lavish lifestyles. Just a bunch of regular guys, coping withA pretty funny mockumentary. Mostly low budget and sub-par acting, but that kinda makes it feel a little genuine. You can almost believe this is real, or a realistic take on vampires in the real world. No sparkles or over the top lavish lifestyles. Just a bunch of regular guys, coping with their situation in a relatable way. It's far from brilliant, but does have its charm, and some old tongue in cheek humor.

Overall: Pretty decent for what it is. Low budget humor, with a touch of heart.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

maythe4bewithu

May 16, 2020

The movie is funny only if you watch it once. But it becomes dated and doesn't really reward repeat viewings which I think most comedies should. It does not hit that mark and therefore takes away its timelessness on a rewatch.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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