2014 Directed: Jemain Clement, Taika Waitit, Written: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi

Score 3.5/5

It feels wrong that this came out in 2014, merely one year before I started college. It’s got phones with T9 keyboards built into them and a clunky Skype call. This movie feels old but 2014 doesn’t even seem that long ago.

What We Do in the Shadows is interesting. It’s slow paced, the characters are neurotic but easy-going. Maybe it’s a New Zealand comedy thing, everything’s very smooth, almost deadpan but not quite. Maybe it’s just a Jemaine Clement thing. It does have a Flight of the Conchords feel (also he’s got “Hiphopopotamus” listed as an “Other name” on wikipedia, very good). I’ve seen this movie many times before, and the real highlight this time around for me was everything surrounding Stu. “He’s the reddest guy I know” is hilarious to me.

Something else I noticed this time is how every supernatural sect besides the vampires are trying to fight against their stereotypes. The werewolves are worried about tearing their clothes and chaining themselves to trees. The zombies are worried about groaning too much or stumbling around with their arms outstretched. Meanwhile the vampires are still out there dressing like medieval/victorian weirdos, with vaguely european accents and penchants for hypnotizing and drinking the blood of virgin women. It’s good they’ve added noodles-as-worms from The Lost Boys (Schumacher, 1987) to their repertoire though.