What We Do in the Shadows

What We Do in the Shadows follows a small group of vampires who live together on Staten Island and the adventures they wind up in.

The movie, which follows a different group in Wellington, New Zealand, is excellent and I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it before. If you love the movie, you will love the show! What makes the show better than the movie comes down to the episodic nature of television. The episodic format means plot-lines can begin and end more quickly than the movie, characters can be developed more and they can be thrown into a wider variety of crazy situations. The movie had great world-building but could only do so much with an 85 minute runtime, and the show furthers that simply from having more time.

The show would not work if Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, who wrote/directed/acted in the movie, were not onboard. They ensured that the tone, production design, shooting style, and humor were all on par with the film. Thank goodness season 2 is on the way!

This show is hysterical. Reminds me of the British 'The Office' without the uncomfortableness. Some people said the jokes don't land but that's the point. It's supposed to be awkward. So glad I found this. Not many shows interest me.

It's hard to dislike this show. It has so many gifted and just plain funny actors. It's not gut busting humour, but rather a mellow guffaw. How you can muster enmity against a gloriously silly display like this is beyond me.

This show grows on you if you enjoy Halloween and vampires and office comedy and mockumentary style shots. Keep em coming!

(Updated after Season 6).

Four vampires and their human helper share a house on Staten Island, New York. Turns out vampires have domestic problems too.

What We Do In The Shadows, the movie, was released in 2014. Co-written and -directed by Jermaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) and Taika Waititi (Boy, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Eagle vs Shark, Jojo Rabbit) it was brilliant: with wonderfully understated humour, sharp dialogue and clever skits it was quirkily funny and intelligent without becoming silly or even seeming to try too hard.

The movie was set and filmed in Wellington, New Zealand and captured the folksy understated humour that is a New Zealand trademark. When I discovered that the series is set in the US, I had my doubts as to how it would measure up to the movie, figuring it had been hijacked by US producers and writers.

I needn't have worried.

Clement and Waititi are the executive producers and lead writers, so, while the setting has changed, the creative geniuses behind the movie are behind the series too. The series largely captures the same quirky, understated humour of the movie, but with different characters and actors, and the new players don't put a foot wrong.

Not entirely the same feel as the movie: the movie felt more candid (as was ostensibly filmed by a documentary crew), giving it a slight edge but there is little to choose between the two.

For five seasons the quality and freshness of the show did not waiver showing that the writers hadn't run out of ideas. The show also had a long-term story arc, making it even more interesting.

In Season 6, the final season, does feel a bit stale and doesn't quite have the zip of the previous seasons. It's still great but just not in the same league as what came before.

A good thing then that it ended as otherwise it would definitely have overstayed its welcome. Kudos to the producers for pulling the plug when they realised that the show had run its course.