What We Do in the Shadows
NZ release: 21 November 2014
Violence & offensive language Rated on: 21 May 2014
What’s it about?
Three vampires - Viago, Deacon, and Vladislav - struggle with the everyday challenges of modern life, like paying rent, staying on top of chores, solving flatmate issues, and getting into nightclubs. Their routine takes a turn when a documentary crew starts following them.
The facts
- Written and directed by Taika Waititi (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) and Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords).
- Starring Kiwi actors Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Jonathan Brugh, Ben Fransham, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, Stu Rutherford, and Jackie van Beek
- Languages: English, German, Spanish, and Latin
- Runtime: 86 minutes
- One of the top 10 highest-grossing films from Aotearoa New Zealand of all time.
Why did it get this rating?
This film game was cross-rated by the Film and Video Labelling Body. You can find out more about cross-rating here.
Violence
What We Do in the Shadows contains frequent depictions of blood, violence, and vampires and werewolves. However, most graphic scenes are followed by humour or have comedic underpinnings, which dampens the weight of the violence.
Some of the strongest moments of violence in the film include:
- A vampire bites a person’s neck, accidentally hits a carotid artery, causing lots of blood to spray everywhere
- Two people fight hand to hand, and one is stabbed in the back with a long spear (a pool of blood is seen).
- A character's spine bone is very briefly shown lying on the floor.
- One character talks about how he used to torture people, showing the audience his torture chamber. We also see a man hanging in a torture chamber with some minor bloody injuries, while another man stands beside him with a weapon.
- The aftermath of a disembowelment is shown. Though it is all blurred, you can make out an intestine and the inside of a stomach with no organs left in it.
- One scene shows werewolves attacking a human. It is described in detail afterwards and the victim is shown, but their injuries are blurred.
- A vampire is seen on fire and then burned to a crisp, though it is mostly for comedic effect.
Offensive language
The words “f*ck,” and “sh*t,” are used regularly, among other coarse language.
Sex & nudity
In one scene, Viago opens Vladislav’s room door and we see Vladislav from a long distance in a sexual embrace with three females. Nothing in detail is shown and the scene is very brief.
When content stays with you:
We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.
