Best Films of the 2010s: What We Do in the Shadows

Lists are beautiful. Films are beautiful. Opinions are subjective. Some films that we see now- some made for kids, some made in other languages, some made in 'trashy' genres- will one day become classics. Which ones? Here's my entirely subjective gaze into the crystal ball with my picks of the best films of the 2010s...

What We Do in the Shadows

    

 What would any list of the best of anything be without a vampire mockumentary from New Zealand? (NOTHING, that's what!) From his debut Boy, way back when in 2010, Taika Waititi made going to the movies a joy this decade, approaching Marvel blockbusters and threadbare-budgeted coming of age stories with the same inventiveness. For this list it was a tossup between this film and The Hunt for the Wilderpeople with its therapeutic haikus and battle for the ages against child services and warthogs. I’m giving the place to What We Do In the Shadows because not a moment is wasted in exploiting the spoof format to the full, and the co-direction and acting of the legendary Jermaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords adds another delicious layer. 

    Viago, Vladislav and Deacon are flatmates in Wellington, modern vampires of the city, avoiding daylight and squabbling over who was meant to take out the bins. They’re decent guys: they want their victims to have a nice time before their imminent doom, so invite them round for dinner first. I've learnt since starting clubbing at uni that people tend to find their tribe and stick with them on a night out; in supernatural Wellington this is more true than anywhere. Waititi explores a variety of nocturnal subcultures. A particular highlight is a group of werewolves who are determined to live their best lives, taking deep breaths to manage their anger, and repeating their determination to be ‘werewolves, not swearwolves’. They are locked against the vampires in an ancient dislike. Tragedy, and the possibility of reconciliation lie in a human IT expert named Stu who becomes involved with the gang. Zany and grandiose, What We Do in the Shadows established the Taika Waititi cinematic universe as the filmic territory with the best accents and the most fun. No other film has allowed a middle-aged female vampire to boast, ‘I can sniff a virgin at 100 paces’. More's the pity. 

Next Time: oh no the REAL vampire is capitalism.