Few genres feel moldier than the mockumentary, a once-potent source of comedy that’s been defused by the existence of entire networks full of real folks debasing themselves beyond the wildest dreams of Christopher Guest. After the existence of Honey Boo Boo, where can you possibly go from there?
To the cemeteries and nightclubs of New Zealand, apparently. Devised by the Flight of the Conchords brain trust, the blissfully silly What We Do in the Shadows takes what should be, by all rights, some very played-out material (it’s The Real World with vampires, for Pete’s sake) and fashions it into something gory, hilarious, and disarmingly sweet. Even if your tolerance for shaky cameras, confessional monologues, and creatures of the night feels long exceeded, What We Do in the Shadows is pretty special.