‘Shadows’ is a sly, weird take on vampires

These vampires worry about who’s doing the dishes?

“This is the not-so-true story, of four vampires, picked to live in a house, work together, and have their lives taped. Find out what happens, when bloodsuckers stop being polite, and start getting real ... ‘The Real World’!”

A take-off on the quintessential MTV reality show’s famous intro comes to mind immediately during “What We Do in the Shadows,” a slyly hilarious mockumentary about a group of vam- pires “flatting” together in Wellington, New Zealand. Co-directed by Jemaine Clement of “Flight of the Conchords” fame, Shadows takes what could have been a one-joke, “Saturday Night Live” sketch and turns it into a very funny, and occasionally even touching, take on brotherhood and friendship. Taika Waititi, who is the other co-director, is Viago, a dandy from a previous century and our guide to the house. He introduces us to his roomies: 8,000-year-old Nosferatu wanna-be Petyr (Ben Fransham), ladies’ man Vladislav (Clement), and bad boy Deacon ( Jonathan Brugh). It takes a little time for “Shadows” to get going as the guys argue about who does the dishes. If the movie had stayed on this level, it would have been just a very long bit sketch. But things really take off when human Nick (Cori Gonzalez-Maceur) — whom they turn into a vampire — and his software-engineer pal Stu (Stuart Rutherford) — whom they don’t — become friends with the group. How Nick deals with his new identity and shy Stu handles his new friendships give the film a bit more emotional, and comedic, depth.

“Conchords” fans will be happy to see Rhys Darby (who played Murray in that series) reunited with Clement as the head of a werewolf pack. If nothing else, it’s certainly more authentic and realistic than recent seasons of “The Real World.”

UNISON FILMS Jemaine Clement stars in “What We Do in the Shadows.”