The mockumentary genre has a unique niche in the movie industry.

While having huge potential, films often struggle to balance comedy with absurdity. “What We Do in the Shadows” has no such trouble and is uproariously funny.

The story follows a group of four vampires living together in a modern New Zealand suburb. Vladislav, Viago, Deacon and Petyr range from a few hundred to 8,000 years old and are the subjects of a documentary. Despite being immortal, they remain unaware of modern cultural and technological changes.

The group engages in nightly stalks of their prey and possess extraordinary powers but still suffer from the same roommate drama that college students know all too well. One night a victim is bitten but manages to escape the vampires’ clutches. Over several months he undergoes the transformation into becoming a vampire. With nowhere to go, he moves in with the other vampires and introduces them to pop culture and modern technology.

This delightful comedy explores the surprisingly popular undead genre in New Zealand and gives a modern satiric twist to the familiar vampire genre. Jokes are often made at the expense of the lucrative “Twilight” series. However, “What We Do in the Shadows” also pays a more respectful homage to previous vampire films, particularly “Nosferatu.” Petyr, the 8,000 year old vampire, lives in a stone coffin in the basement and bears striking resemblance to Count Orlok of “Nosferatu.” 

“What We Do in the Shadows” plays like an exponentially more entertaining, supernatural version of MTV’s “Real World.” Director Jermaine Clement does a superb job of bringing a clever, dark comedy style that has few substitutes in today’s cinema.