"What We Do in the Shadows" - Mockumentary

   At first glance, it might seem that makers of "What We Do in the Shadows" are debutants, because young filmmakers like to start with low-budget horror films. This is not true, because Jemaine Clement and Taika Vaitity, who appeared in this film as directors, writers, producers and lead actors, successfully work in Hollywood for a quite long time. "What We Do in the Shadows"  is a pseudo-documentary - mockumentary film about sad vampires, made by these New Zealand comedians.

Figure 1. Directors, producers,writers and lead actors(2017)

   The originality of the film lies in the skilful combination of several cinematic genres. It is a mockumentary - a parody even not so much on documentary, as on a television reality-show,  numerous TV programmes where film crew observe and film every step of people. It is a good horror, with good amount of blood. And it is a stunning comedy in which vampire clichés and stereotypes, are demonstrated from  very unusual sides.

The latter is an absolute advantage of the picture. We are used to the fact that "draculas" must live in gloomy castles. However our heroes say that they live together in order not to feel lonely. Vampires live in an ordinary house in a suburb, very unremarkable, without any stereotypical cemetery crosses and stone gargoyles. Vampires find it difficult to live in a company, none of them wants to clean or wash dishes, their wardrobe is clearly out of fashion and inviting outsiders is fraught with another bloody feast. It is difficult to go to restaurants and bars either, because in order to enter a room, vampires need an invitation. They wander about the dark streets of Wellington, looking more like sober loonies, than ones that pose a mortal danger for passers-bies.

Figure 2. Housemate meeting(2014)

   In fact, "What We Do in the Shadows"  is a set of sketches, but mixed together with such skill, that you quickly stop noticing: that this simple story, in some degree, about nothing, in reality is a full-scale drama . In agreement with Alex Heeney (2015) point of view "It never drags and it’s pieced together so expertly that you hardly notice you’re watching so many short scenes".

   Perhaps the secret of this killingly funny movie is that filmmakers do not seek to create a  parody of all vampire films: "Nosferatu", "Twilight". Alternatively, they show how hard it is for an immortal bloodsucker to live in the 21st century. This vampire has the right to experience normal human feelings. At last, these are vampires, which you can sincerely sympathize with.

Bibliography:
1. Heeney, A. (2015) Review: What We Do in the Shadows is a hilarious vampire mockumentary. At: https://seventh-row.com/2015/02/19/what-we-do-in-the-shadows/ (Accessed on 7 December 2017) 

Illustrations:
1. Figure 1. (2017)[Film Still] http://vengersatanis.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/first-blood-blood-dark-thirst-playtest.html, accessed on 7 December 2017.
2. Figure 2. Dickens, D.(2014)[Film Still] http://uproxx.com/hitfix/what-we-do-in-the-shadows-trailer-questions-vampiric-day-to-day-life/, accessed on 7 December 2017.