The vampire genre gets thoroughly skewered in this creatively designed, often hilarious mockumentary. Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, co-creators of HBO series Flight of the Conchords (2007), divide writing, directing and starring duties here, playing two of four ancient male vampires who share a New Zealand home. Using an amalgam of practical and digital effects, the filmmakers encapsulate the modern metropolitan ghoul's experience, as our subjects lead us through their living space and the local blood-sucker community.

Issues faced by the quartet range from the mundane, like delegating household tasks through a chore wheel, to the concerning, such as a vampire hunter break-in or an encounter with a pack of werewolves after a night on the town. Each scenario is preluded by comically detailed visual montages featuring historical context and images of the subjects from their human days. There are even a few scares to be had, as in an eerily-scored sequence where an unsuspecting victim is chased by the group through their decaying mansion.

With several laugh-out-loud moments, and just as many subtly amusing nods to traditional vampire lore, What We Do in the Shadows does justice to its spooky subject matter through the prism of reality TV culture. High production values, including solid costuming, make-up and set design, also recommend this witty and original take on well-worn material. Arriving as a sort of commentary after the world's most recent wave of vampire obsession, the film succeeds as entertainment and indictment alike.

Final Grade: B+ | 89/100 | ★★★½