The Unicorn Scale: What We Do in the Shadows

By Florianne Humphrey

May 28, 2019

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Photo credit: Image/FX

Mockumentaries are fast becoming a popular genre for film and television. A particularly successful one, with a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, is What We Do in the Shadows, a 2014 New Zealand film about a group of vampires living like students in a house in Wellington. “Bloody good fun” pretty much sums up the puntastic critical response.

Now, thanks to the success of the film, an American sequel is being piloted as a 10-part television series. The format is similar: four vampire roommates living in New York City. The comedy is the same: a satirical take on the vampire genre, mocking the mundanity of human life against the gothic horror of vampire immortality. What’s new? An introduction of two bisexual protagonists, which makes a pretty good 50% hit rate on bisexual representation. Warning: fang-tastic SPOILERS ahead.

If you’re unfamiliar with how The Unicorn Scale works, go take a peek at the original article.

What I Liked:

I’m a big fan of bi representation where sexuality isn’t the dominating factor, and this is certainly the case with What We Do in the Shadows. Our two bi vamps are Laszlo, played by British actor and comedian Matt Berry, and Nadja, played by another British actor and comedian Natasia Demetriou. It’s particularly great to see a bi man, albeit a non-human man, as male bisexuality generally gets a lot less representation.

Some fun facts to start us off: Laszlo and Nadja are married; Laszlo is an English nobleman who enjoys making topiary sculptures of vulvas and was once Jack the Ripper; Nadja is a Romanian vampire who is secretly seeing a human man she believes is the reincarnation of her last human lover that she accidentally decapitated. They’re both brilliantly bonkers and hilariously written, and a lot of these aspects of their personalities come out more strongly than their bisexuality.

However, that doesn’t mean their bisexuality is disregarded. Granted, it’s not taken very seriously. Don’t watch What We Do in the Shadows if you’re expecting any hard-hitting, socio-political commentary about the bi experience. But moments are sprinkled throughout the series that definitely suggest — in fact, shouts it loud and proud — that these vampires are into both genders.

Laszlo and Nadja point at the Baron while he stands, smiling.
Image/FX

For example, when Baron Afanas (Doug Jones), an ancient, decrepit vampire who believes vampires should rule the world, visits the house. LaszloNadja are keeping a secret from one another, and the comedic twist is the irony that they’re both harboring the same secret — that they’ve both had sex with the Baron.

Then there’s Nadja’s relationship with Jenna (Beanie Feldstein), a virgin that is lured into the house for the vampires to feast on. When she’s turned into a vampire by Nadja, there’s definitely sexual tension. When Nadja is leaning in to bite Jenna on the neck, Jenna confesses that this is “her first time with a girl”.

Like many vampire stories in film, television, and books, Laszlo and Nadja’s bisexuality needs no explanation. Why wouldn’t these vampires, having been alive for hundreds of years, be attracted to both genders? And why wouldn’t these vampires, who break all other social norms and conventions — murdering people, turning into bats, making vulva-shaped topiaries — not also be more liberal with sexuality?

Laszlo and Nadja and the Baron are upside down hanging onto the ceiling wrapped in their wings.
Image/FX

What I Didn’t Like:

What We Do in the Shadows doesn’t take itself seriously, and neither should the viewer, so expecting it to produce serious, thoughtful, and authentic bi representation is counterproductive. However, one possible flaw is that Laszlo and Nadja are promiscuous and unfaithful in a way that the other straight characters are not. This could be seen as problematic, considering this plays into a bi stereotype. However, again, as this program about vampire housemates is so far removed from reality, it’s difficult to apply real-life criticisms.

But some more bi representation would have been great. Many thumbs up for the program for including bi characters in the first place, but some more obvious and consistent content about Laszlo and Nadja’s bisexuality would be a good progression. More girl-on-girl action from Nadja perhaps?

Laszlo and Nadja look at someone out of frame with concern.
Image/FX

The Rating:

Three unicorns served with a generous helping of comedy blood-letting. Move over Twilight and your overpowering heterosexuality: there’s a new breed of queer vampires taking over our screens. And with a new series of What We Do in the Shadows released in 2020, there’s plenty more of Laszlo and Nadja.

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