‘What We Do in the Shadows’: One of Horror’s Most Underrated Movies Is Getting a Sequel

There are horror movies that become mainstream sensations, and then there are the ones that quietly build devoted followings until they become modern classics.

For me, What We Do in the Shadows belongs firmly in that second category.

Released in 2014, the mockumentary horror-comedy from Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement took the found footage format and applied it to a group of centuries-old vampires sharing a flat in Wellington, New Zealand. The film follows Viago, Vladislav, Deacon, and their undead housemates as they navigate roommate drama, feeding schedules, nightlife, and the everyday inconveniences of being immortal.

Written, directed, and starring Waititi and Clement, the film premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and quickly earned widespread critical acclaim. Horror fans embraced its deadpan humor, loving affection for vampire mythology, and endlessly quotable characters. Despite the praise, however, it never quite became the crossover phenomenon it deserved to be. Instead, it remained something of a cult favorite that genre fans couldn’t stop recommending to their friends.

That’s why it was such a surprise when the property was adapted into a television series.

Premiering on FX in 2019, What We Do in the Shadows shifted the action to Staten Island while maintaining the documentary format that made the original film so special. Created by Jemaine Clement and executive produced by Taika Waititi, the series introduced audiences to Nandor, Laszlo, Nadja, Colin Robinson, and Guillermo, quickly becoming one of the funniest and most inventive horror-comedy shows on television.

What could have been a forgettable spin-off instead ran for six critically acclaimed seasons, concluding in December 2024. Along the way, it earned dozens of Emmy nominations and established itself as one of the great modern genre comedies. Every season somehow managed to top the one before it with deeper vampire lore, surprise guest stars, absurd supernatural mythology, and a genuine love for horror history.

Now, it sounds like the original vampires may finally be returning.