The film What We Do In The Shadows is the hit 2014 mockumentary following a handful of vampire roommates. The movie, which was written by Flight of the Concords' Jemaine Clement and Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi, was so popular that it was only a matter of time that we saw more from these two creators. In 2019, the television version of the film debuted to solid reviews.
While the show carried the same concept, there are some differences from the film. Some of the differences make the show a much more solid piece of art, while others point to the film as being better. Here are five ways the show is better -- and five ways the film is superior.
10 TV Show: The Inclusion Of A Female Vampire
In the movie, all of the roommates are men. There's the dandy Viago, the slacker Deacon, the torturous Vladislav, and the ancient Petyr. The chemistry between the actors is wonderful, so the audience never wonders about mixing things up. In the show, there are four roommates still -- the control freak Nandor, the uber sexual Laszlo, the deceptively bland Colin, and the cunning Nadja. Adding a woman to the cast adds a great dynamic to the show.
Not only is she constantly saving the men from their own machinations, but she's quite possibly the cruelest of the foursome. Also, she's a fully developed character with her own desires and storyline independent of her husband, Laszlo.
9 Movie: More Roommate Conflict
Part of what made the movie so funny is its examination of vampires in a roommate setting. Anyone who ever lived with other people can relate to the group's arguments about dishes or their discussion over who's not putting their weight. Though the show does a good job of showing this type of conflict, it wouldn't be as believable given that Nandor's familiar, the delightfully pure Guillermo, does most of the housework even for Laszlo and Nadja.
Both mediums show how immortality can become mundane, but the movie is more effective at showcasing how having roommates in the afterlife can make it all the more trying.
8 TV Show: The Vampire Familiar Relationship
Though the film features a familiar hellbent on becoming a vampire, the show does a better job of showing the power dynamic between a vampire and its familiar. Nandor, the oldest and most uptight of the group, employs Guillermo as his familiar. For a decade Guillermo has been taking care of Nandor's needs. He ensures the windows are covered to block the sun, he cleans the house, and he gets rid of the bodies.
Guillermo very much wants to be a vampire, a fact that Nandor entertains but doesn't seem to take seriously. For his part, Nandor has moments of showing genuine affection towards him, like when he paints a glittering portrait of them as a gift for Guillermo's anniversary as his familiar. This is an altogether different will they or won't they from most shows, but it pays off.
7 Movie: The Treatment Of Werewolves
One of the themes in both the movie and the show is the vampire's relationship with other supernatural creatures, werewolves in particular. While the show has only explored the vampire/ werewolf relationship once, the movie showcased this feud more effectively.
Not only was the meeting between the two types of creatures funnier, but the movie also gave audiences one of the most iconic movie lines in recent film history: "we're werewolves, not swearwolves." Additionally, the show focused much of their time in trying to make the wolf pack diverse instead of trying to add some back story about why the werewolves and vampires were actually fighting.
6 TV Show: The Special Effects
While the movie had some great special effects, showcasing the group flying or spewing blood, the show was able to punch the effects up to eleven. This is especially evident in the season one episode "Baron's Night Out," when the group takes the ancient vampire Baron Afanas out on the town.
When the Baron is adamant about eating pizza the gang doesn't object, and what follows is a wacky and hilarious sequence. Additionally, the show plays more with the group's ability to shapeshift, as well as showing the nitty-gritty of the vampiric change.
5 Movie: The Beast
One of the things the movie did well was adding an air of mystery surrounding a character dubbed "The Beast." This character haunted Vladislav's dreams, and it was exciting to see the build-up to finding out who this person was. It turned out to be a vampire named Pauline, who was Vladislav's ex-girlfriend.
This characterization could have easily become misogynistic in the wrong hands. But Clement and Waititi treat this situation well, keeping it funny and irreverent and providing some backstory to Pauline. Additionally, there is good chemistry between Clement and Elena Stejko, the actress who plays Pauline.
4 TV Show: More World Building
By virtue of TV, the show has more time and space to build out the world surrounding the vampires. From showing the mundane world of the Staten Island city council to showing a vampire council populated by celebrities and the characters from the movie themselves, the show's worldbuilding is impeccable. Additionally, the show adds more types of supernatural characters to the lineup, such as the babadook.
It also introduces two other types of vampires -- energy vampires and emotional vampires, who drain people of their energy and emotions, respectively. The fourth roommate, Colin Robinson, is an energy vampire and part of the show's humor comes from him deliberately annoying the other vampires so he can drain them.
3 Movie: More Character Establishment
Since the movie had a limited timeframe, it had to show the backstories of the characters right away. Though the show has more time to parse out details of Nandor, Laszlo, Nadja, Colin, and Guillermo's lives, thus far the audience doesn't know much about these vampires.
We know that Nandor was a soldier in the Ottoman Empire, but how did he become a vampire? We know that Laszlo was an English nobleman before being turned by Nadja, but what about his parentage? We know that Nadja was a Romani woman, but how did she become a vampire? How did the trio become roommates? What about Colin Robinson? Hopefully, the show will answer these questions and more as it airs.
2 TV Show: More Room For Storylines
Another virtue of a television show is the room it has for multiple storylines at once. During the first season alone, fans learned about both Nadja and Laszlo's relationships with Baron Afanas, the reincarnation of Nadja's star-crossed lover, Gregor, Guillermo's ancestry (which includes a certain vampire hunter), and more. Each of these storylines gives the show more richness and material to draw from and make audiences laugh with.
Additionally, the different storylines introduce the audience to a number of side characters such as college student turned vampire, Jenna, The Vampire Council's guide (played by the wonderful Kristen Schaal), and a group of vampire hunters led by the eternally funny Craig Robinson.
1 Movie: Vampire Human Relationships
One of the most memorable characters in the film isn't a vampire at all. It is a human named Stu, who the vampires enjoy so much they don't even think of turning him. Even 8,000-year-old Petyr is on board with keeping the savvy human alive. Stu teaches the group a number of things, like how to use the internet, Tai Chi, and more.
The film's treatment of Stu as an everyman that is so mesmerizing to the vampires was an interesting take, and it made the statement that vampires aren't simply led by their bloodlust.
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