Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Catch Up on ‘What We Do in the Shadows’
Comedies about misfit roommates may be common on television, but FX’s What We Do in the Shadows stands out for a very good reason: the roommates are vampires.
Based on the 2014 cult classic film of the same name written by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, What We Do in the Shadows follows the lives of three vampires living together on Staten Island: Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo Cravensworth (Matt Berry), and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou).
The show also follows their “energy vampire” roommate Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) and Nandor’s familiar Guillermo de la Cruz (Harvey Guillén).
What We Do in the Shadows’ untraditional take on vampires makes it the perfect comedy to catch up on as the fall season sets in and Halloween approaches.
Although there are plenty of vampire shows available to watch on streaming services, most either take a pure horror or drama angle. What We Do in the Shadows shares more DNA with The Office than it does any vampire shows you have seen, making it a must-watch for fans of comedy and the supernatural alike.
Done in a mockumentary format, the show avoids popular vampire archetypes, instead opting for a more realistic take on the mundaneness of eternal life. These are neither the complex, emotionally tortured anti-heroes nor the inhuman monsters you’re used to seeing on screen.
While they may have been ruthless murderers at one point, now they’re more than happy to have familiar Guillermo fetch them warm bodies while they tend to more pressing issues like getting into arguments with werewolves about gardens or dealing with “cursed” chain emails.
The show embraces the absurdity of its characters, vampires with a lack of common sense, as its own form of humor without ever trying to be overly clever or high concept. Sometimes the joke is as simple as one of the characters getting captured by animal control while in bat form.
The absurdity of the show is supported by the strength of the cast, featuring actors largely lesser known to American audiences. They give the characters much livelier personalities than expected of the undead as these vampires aren’t formal or serious despite their age.
For example, Nadja’s one-liners and chaotic energy contrast with the slick vampire seductress stereotype to create a vampire more in line with the modern television heroines we love. She’s messy and funny, but underneath all of her jokes, she’s also just trying to cope with the incompetent male vampires surrounding her.
Demetriou gets to put a spin on the “unlikeable woman” trope permeating modern comedies because a vampire can disregard social standards to the extreme. She’s just as relatable as Fleabag, though in this case, her exes are literal ghouls.
The show also makes the unusual decision to give a storyline to the vampire familiar, Guillermo. Because he works for the vampires he provides a human point of view into the vampire world that’s very different and a little easier to identify with than that of a chosen-one, Buffy Summers type.
This isn’t to say he always agrees with his employers. His delivery of, “Yes, master,” more often drips with sarcasm than subservience. Guillén imbues just the right balance of sincerity and dry humor to make the character one you will want to watch.
The characters on the show are a breath of fresh air for vampire fans thanks to their humor and relatability and will keep you invested regardless of the plot of the week.
Each season also features a slew of guest stars, including notable names such as Mark Hamill, Beanie Feldstein, Haley Joel Osment, and more.
The guest stars do more than just surprise viewers, they allow the show to bring in new types of supernatural creatures that expand the mythology and horror of the show. So far the show has seen zombies, warlocks, witches, ghosts, and werewolves.
The incorporation of new supernatural creatures keeps the show fresh and will leave you wondering what monsters are to come.
Worldbuilding balanced with laugh out loud comedy keeps the show interesting, and its first two hilarious seasons prove the show has staying power despite its rather simplistic concept. The stand-out second season even earned the show multiple Emmy nominations, including “Outstanding Comedy Series” and “Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.”
With two solid seasons under its belt, now is the perfect time to sink your teeth into this clever comedy before the third season premieres in 2021.
And while this show can and should be enjoyed year-round, the aesthetic feels right at home in the fall season.
Set primarily at night, for obvious reasons, the first two seasons were filmed in Toronto in the fall months capturing the dreary ambiance that can creep into the season.
The gothic mansion the vampires reside in and where a lot of scenes take place fits more closely with horror stereotypes than its inhabitants. The interiors add to the macabre, with dim lighting, crimson walls, and antique furniture that could have been borrowed from Dracula’s castle.
That said, the show is never actually very scary.
Unlike shows like Lovecraft Country that embrace gore and jump scares, What We Do in the Shadows gives you a taste of the occult without keeping you up at night. This makes it a great pick for people who love the supernatural but can’t handle too much horror.
If you’re looking for a new comedy to entertain you this fall while still keeping some of the spooky Halloween spirit alive, What We Do in the Shadows is a must-watch in our books.
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Are you planning on watching What We Do in the Shadows? Or have you already seen it? Let us know in the comments.
What We Do in the Shadows is now streaming on Hulu.
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Breeze Riley
Breeze Riley is a pop culture enthusiast who decided to turn her love of watching too much TV into a hobby writing about it. Although she's a convention-going sci-fi and fantasy nerd, she's just as likely to be watching an off-beat comedy or period drama. She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic.