What We Do In The Shadows (2019- )

By Emily Hubbard

A vampire mockumentary with real bite

• 5/5 Cameras🎥🎥🎥🎥🎥
• Written by Jemaine Clement
• Starring: Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, and Harvey Guillén
• Where to find it: BBC iPlayer 

No Copyright Infringement Intended 

Spin-offs can be a touchy subject. Most popular TV or movie franchises have branched out and attempted to widen the fictional world in which they are set, usually in an attempt to stay relevant and squeeze more money from fans (see poorly received Friends spin-off ‘Joey’ for example). It should, therefore, come as no surprise that finding a good spin-off is a rarity, but finding one even better than its already strong source material is practically unheard of, yet despite the odds, What We Do In The Shadows has managed to achieve this.

Set in the same world, and with the same title, as the hilarious 2014 film written and directed by comedy titans Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, What We Do In The Shadows is a mockumentary following the lives of 3 dysfunctional vampires who’ve lived together for hundreds of years; Nadja, Lazslo and Nandor (Natasia Demetriou, Matt Berry, and Kayvan Novak, respectively), as they navigate modern-day Staten Island. They’re also joined by Nandor’s long-suffering human familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) and the beige jumper-clad energy vampire Colin Robinson (The Office US alum Mark Proksch).

Mockumentaries are not uncommon in the world of sitcoms, with The Office US and Parks and Recreation serving as stellar examples, however, many tend to falter on their narrative and end up falling on the wrong side of the line between funny and just plain awkward. I am pleased to report, however, that What We Do In The Shadows does not struggle with this issue. Most mockumentaries can’t seem to decide on how much to break the fourth wall, but this show sits firm in its’ decision to involve the camera crew, by constantly reassuring the unlucky people tasked with filming the group of vampires that they won’t be killed and then often putting them in situations that hilariously contradict that promise.

For a show to be successful and liked, it’s important to have strong characters, and this is something What We Do In The Shadows definitely delivers. All of the characters we’re introduced to are incredibly loveable and a delight to watch, leaving you truly invested in their stories, whether that be Nadja and Lazslo’s centuries-old marriage and all of its’ issues, Nandor’s wish to be reunited with his long-dead horse, or Guillermo’s wish to be turned into a vampire. Each character brings their own sense of uniqueness to the table, with no one feeling out of place. It could be argued that with established comedy actors Kayvan Novak and Matt Berry (Nandor and Lazslo respectively) involved that this show was always going to be special, with Matt Berry’s line delivery once again making me laugh hours after I’ve finished an episode. Despite this, it’s Natasia Demetriou’s Nadja who really shines, as the 500+ year old vampire with a no-nonsense attitude who has no problem putting her fellow creatures of the night in their places.

The show doesn’t just feature vampires, however, with plenty of other supernatural beings also showing up and disrupting the lives of our wayward group, with one episode featuring a feud with a werewolf pack and another featuring a cameo from Benedict Wong as a necromancer who also happens to be a con-artist. Speaking of cameos, the show manages to pull off a fair few, with Hollywood heavy hitters such as Wesley Snipes, Mark Hamill and, Tilda Swinton all making appearances. I guess that’s what happens when Taika Waititi is involved.

I mentioned before that What We Do In The Shadows has managed to pull off the seemingly impossible by being a spin-off that’s better than it’s original counterpart, but what is even more impressive is that it manages to stay consistently funny throughout. Each of the 20 episodes currently available on BBC iPlayer (a third season is currently airing in the US, so I suspect it will be available in the UK at some point soon) is a blast, jammed packed with jokes, and there’s not a single filler episode in sight. A stand-out episode, personally, has to be Episode 4 of Season 1 entitled ‘Manhattan Night Out’ in which Lazslo and Nadja fight over a cursed witch’s hat. This show is undoubtedly set to become a cult classic, adored by fans for decades to come, and with such a strong cast and writing team, I highly doubt it will lose any of its spark along the way.