What We Do In The Shadows

5 September 2014 | 9:25 am | Guy Davis

'What We Do In The Shadows' walks the fine line between horror and comedy without making a misstep.

Vampires are played-out. Mockumentaries are definitely played-out. So why does What We Do In The Shadows, a mockumentary about a quartet of bloodsucking housemates in 21st century New Zealand, work so well?

Well, it’s brisk, imaginative and, best of all, funny in a goofy, amiable kind of way.

Talented Kiwis Taika Waititi (the maker of the well-loved Boy and Eagle Vs Shark) and Jemaine Clement (one-half of the mighty Flight Of The Conchords duo) are co-writer/directors here, also taking major roles as dandy vamp Viago – who fussily spreads newspapers on the floor to catch errant plasma – and the more bloodthirsty Vlad, respectively.

The two share their Wellington home with 183-year-old “bad boy” Deacon (Jonathan Brugh) and 8000-year-old Petyr (Ben Fransham), bickering about household chores (who going to do the bloody dishes... the literally bloody dishes?) and bemoaning their inability to fit in with modern society. Maybe a new housemate in the form of recently-turned vampire Nick (Cori Gonzalez-Macuer) will help matters. Or maybe not, given Nick’s penchant for telling all and sundry he’s the new Nosferatu in town.

Quirky without being overbearing, sweet without being saccharine, clever without being show-offish, What We Do In The Shadows walks the fine line between horror and comedy without making a misstep. What’s more, it even throws werewolves and zombies into the mix. Who could ask for anything more?