History Film / WhatWeDoInTheShadows

%%* InvitedAsDinner

* MistakenForGay: A teenager in the streets calls the heroes "homos" because of their campy clothing.

* StaircaseTumble: Happens to Nick when he flees the heroes during the InvitedAsDinner night.

* {{Metaphorgotten}}:
-->'''Vladislav:''' ''[on drinking the blood of virgins]'' I think of it like this. If you are going to eat a sandwich, you would just enjoy it more if you knew no one had fucked it.

** One of the werewolves also calls Viago "count Faggot", again for his interesting fashion sense, though it is unclear if he actually thought Viago was gay or if he was just making fun of him.

** One of the werewolves also calls Viago "count Faggot" though it is unclear if he actually thought Viago was gay or if he was just making fun of him.

An American series based on the film called ''Series/WhatWeDoInTheShadows'', headed by Waititi and Clement, premiered on March 27, 2019 on Creator/{{FX|Networks}}. The show takes place in the same continuity as the film, but relocated to [[BigApplesauce New York City]] and focusing on a different group of characters.

''What We Do in the Shadows'' is a BlackComedy Horror {{Mockumentary}} which follows three colorful, but lovable vampire flatmates: Viago, Deacon, and Vladislav, in their struggles to fit into modern-day [[UsefulNotes/{{Wellington}} Wellington]] society. When their eight-thousand-year-old extra flatmate Petyr (pronounced "Peter") attacks and turns twenty-something hipster Nick into a vampire, the guys must teach him the ropes of vampirism and guide him through his newfound eternal life. In turn, they are forced to learn a thing or two about modern society including technology, the Internet, and proper clubbing.

* BlatantLies: Deacon claims he was 16 when he was sired, and that's why he still looks 16 years old.[[note]]He looks like a 50 year old man.[[/note]]

* RealityEnsues: The film's humor primarily runs on this trope. Almost every joke boils down to "how does this regular everyday activity work when you live by vampire rules?"
** When you don't have a reflection and are increasingly out of touch with modern times, it can be quite hard to dress stylishly for a night out on the town. It doesn't help if your fashion sense is stuck in the era when you were turned. And it ''especially'' doesn't help when you have to beg a bouncer to ''invite'' you in.
** After countless victims spilling blood over their house, Viago learns to put towels and newspaper down before going for the kill (and insists that his flatmates do the same). And hitting the main artery on the neck makes things ''very'' messy.
** Also Nick telling a whole bunch of people he's a vampire [[spoiler:leads to a vampire hunter tracking down the flat and killing Petyr by dumb luck]].
** One of the cameramen [[spoiler:keeps up with the fleeing vampires when the werewolves start to transform, while the other one sticks around to get footage of their transformations. The one who sticks around gets mauled to death.]]

** When you don't have a reflection and are increasingly out of touch with modern times, it can be quite hard to dress stylishly for a night out on the town. It doesn't help if your fashion sense is stuck in the era when you were turned.

The film was co-directed as well as co-written by Creator/TaikaWaititi (of ''Film/{{Boy|2010}}'') and Jemaine Clement (of Music/FlightOfTheConchords), who both co-star. It was released in its home country, New Zealand, as well as a few others in 2014. It later met a limited release in [[{{UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates}} the States]] in early 2015.

** When you don't have a reflection and are increasingly out of touch with modern times, it can be quite hard to dress stylishly for a night out on the town. It doesn't help if your wardrobe mostly consists of the clothes of your former victims.

* BlackComedyAnimalCruelty: The morning after the werewolves disembowel [[spoiler:Stu]], the police mistakenly put the blame on a stray dog and tell the camera crew that it will have to be put down.

A SpinOff series based around the two police officers O'Leary and Minogue, called ''Series/WellingtonParanormal'', premiered in 2018.

* FromBadToWorse: At the climax [[spoiler: the main characters barely manage to escape the Unholy Masquerade with Stu and the camera crew. Then they run into the werewolves who immediately attack them.]]

* NerdsAreVirgins: When Stu describes his job as a software developer at the undead masquerade in an attempt to keep them from eating him, he inadvertently only succeeds in tempting them more by making them come to the conclusion that he's a virgin.

* TheInternetIsForPorn: While they do use the internet for other stuff like video of sunrises, they also google videos of virgins and Vladislav is heard commenting "I don't think she's a virgin if she's doing that.

* BlatantLies: Vlad claims he was 16 when he was sired, and that's why he still looks 16 years old.[[note]]He looks like a 50 year old man.[[/note]]

A SpinOff series based around the two police officers Karen and Mike, called ''Series/WellingtonParanormal'', premiered in 2018.

* VillainProtagonist: Considering they are vampires who remorselessly kill humans.

''What We Do in the Shadows'' is a BlackComedy Horror {{Mockumentary}} which follows three colorful, but lovable vampire flatmates: Viago, Deacon, and Vladislav, in their struggles to fit into modern-day [[{{UsefulNotes/Wellington}} Wellington]] society. When their eight-thousand-year-old extra flatmate Petyr (pronounced "Peter") attacks and turns twenty-something hipster Nick into a vampire, the guys must teach him the ropes of vampirism and guide him through his newfound eternal life. In turn, they are forced to learn a thing or two about modern society including technology, the Internet, and proper clubbing.

The film was co-directed as well as co-written by Creator/TaikaWaititi (of ''Film/{{Boy|2010}}'') and Jemaine Clement (of Music/FlightOfTheConchords). It was released in its home country, New Zealand, as well as a few others in 2014. It later met a limited release in [[{{UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates}} the States]] in early 2015.

A SpinOff series based around the two police officers, Karen and Mike called ''Series/WellingtonParanormal'' premiered in 2018.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Its never revealed what happened to Phillip, although it's unlikely that Viiago would have bothered to go back and turn him.

* MoralityPet: Stu is the only human who the vampires won't think about killing and even try to protect, with even Petyr promising not to harm him.