What We Do in the Shadows Review: This Vampire Comedy Doesn’t Suck
Based on the critically-acclaimed film of the same name, What We Do in the Shadows offers a documentary-style look into the lives of four vampires who have been roommates for hundreds of years in Staten Island.
Created for television by Jemaine Clement, What We Do in the Shadows airs its first episode this Wednesday at 10/9c on FX. It is Executive Produced by Clement, Taika Waititi, and Paul Simms with Scott Rudin, Garrett Basch, and Eli Bush.
I had the chance to screen the first four episodes which were made available to the press. The series also had its premiere at SXSW earlier this month.
This is a series that demands a certain level of patience at first, but it is well worth a watch. What We Do in the Shadows is smart, unique, and absurdly funny. I also have a particular fascination with vampires, so this is right up my alley.
Right away on What We Do in the Shadows Season 1 Episode 1, we’re introduced to Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), a familiar, who is excited to show the documentary crew where he lives and to introduce them to his master, Nandor (Kayvan Novak).
One of the first moments of comedy comes in the contrast of tone. Guillermo is taking everything very seriously as he plans to wake Nandor, but Nandor finds that the latch on his coffin is stuck, and he can’t get out easily.
There’s a clumsiness to Nandor right away, and he’s immediately charming. Even as he talks about his life and the horrible things he’s done, there’s a sweetness that makes him instantly likable.
Also living in the house are vampires Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and Laszlo (Matt Berry). Nadja and Laszlo are a couple, and their dynamic is a lot of fun to watch, whether they’re talking to the documentary crew about their past or taking time on a walk to feed together — a grotesque moment that reminds you that these are, in fact, monsters even though we’re focusing on their very human elements.
The gore, by the way, is a bit over the top (not unlike what you see in the film version), but that all adds to the comedy of it as well.
The best and most hilarious moments are those that are mundane. It’s funny when Nandor calls a house meeting and begins it with discussions of hygiene and keeping the place the clean. It would be a typical conversation between a typical set of roommates, except that these are vampires and the hygiene has to do with how they’ve left their victims.
Aside from the mockumentary style, even the humor itself feels much like The Office. It’s often based in awkwardness and misunderstanding in a way that feels relatable and just a bit uncomfortable.
The vampires are also entirely out of place. Watching them navigate Staten Island while stuck in their old ways and wearing their old clothes is one of the best things about the show. A trip to the store causes a lot of confusion, and vampires showing up to a city council meeting is just perfectly entertaining.
The references to other texts add to the humor of this show, too. Most vampire narratives refer to one another at some point, either directly or indirectly.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer has an entire episode dedicated to Dracula, and on the same episode, Buffy refers to Interview with the Vampire’s Lestat. On What We Do in the Shadows, there’s already at least one joke about Twilight (and it’s a good one) and a reference to a character from Interview with the Vampire.
What We Do in the Shadows has common themes from other vampire stories, also. There’s a focus on the need to be part of a community, on power dynamics, and on otherness — and it does all of that while making us laugh.
And of course, it gets at the question of mortality as well. What does it mean to live forever? Who would want to, and why?
If you’ve seen the movie, you won’t be surprised by what you see on the TV series. It has a similar feel, even down to the special effects and the gore. But I think the concept works much better in this format.
As a 30-minute series, we get a chance to get to know the vampires better, and as we get to know them more, everything becomes funnier and more intriguing. It’s also funnier in the small, episodic chunks — an episode about City Council is followed by one about a werewolf feud, and so on.
The TV series adds a new element as well. We’re introduced to an energy vampire: a day-walking vampire named Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) who feeds by draining energy from the people around him. Mostly, that happens in an office environment, because of course it does.
And let’s be honest, we all know someone who could very well be an energy vampire, don’t we? It’s a smart, amusing idea, especially since the energy vampire can also drain energy from the other vampires. Colin Robinson is easily one of the best things about the series.
What We Do in the Shadows uses a lot of the classic lore to its advantage, and that adds to the humor even further. Laszlo yells “bat!” before transforming into a bat, sunlight must be avoided, and so on.
It takes things a step further, though, by reminding us of the time we’re in. Just wait until you find out what happens when you see a vampire trying to use a tablet.
Take a look at the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyZi3rJPENs
Are you planning to watch What We Do in the Shadows? Did you see the original film? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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What We Do in the Shadows premieres Wednesday, March 27th at 10/9c on FX.
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Ashley Bissette Sumerel
Ashley Bissette Sumerel is a television and film critic living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV as well as Eulalie Magazine. Ashley has also written for outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and Insider. Ashley has been a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2017 and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. In addition to her work as an editor and critic, Ashley teaches Entertainment Journalism, Composition, and Literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.