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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
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What We Do in the Shadows‘s fourth episode of its second season is titled “The Curse;” it is directed by Liza Johnson (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Silicon Valley), and written by Sarah Naftalis.
Some spoilers ahead for those who have not yet watched the episode or seen the show. If you haven’t done either, you should get to that now, then return to this article!
This episode garners just as much if not more laughs as last week’s had. Vampire familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) helps the Amateur Vampire Hunters of Staten Island infiltrate a vampire family’s home. Meanwhile, Nandor the Relentless (Kayvan Novak) receives a spam email which he has to forward to other individuals or forever be cursed. He recruits help from the other vampires to avoid a dark fate.
The main vampires’ plot in this episode — along with their interactions and usage of the computer — is highly reminiscent of Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement’s film of which the series is based. In the 2014 film, the vampires’ familiar exposes them to the new age of the technology; for example, in one scene they watch a video clip of sunrise and look in fear as bright light ascends. Guillermo’s side of the episode’s story is excellent as well. The vampire hunters have a Holy Water water dispenser and don’t know what they’re really signing up for when coming after the evils of the night.
“The Curse” has a brief reference to Sandra Bullock and several of her films such as The Blind Side, Speed, and Miss Congeniality. The episode fits the series’s vampiric theme through the inclusions of songs “Dancing in the Moonlight” by King Harvest and “The Devil Caught Me Nappin” by Andrea Litkei and Ervin Litkei. The performances of the main cast along with its secondaries are absolutely brilliant, and the writing is fantastic when it weaves the two stories together as one. This is definitely worth tuning into!
10/10
What do you think? Have you seen this series? If not, do you plan to binge it sometime in the near future? Let us know! For more What We Do in the Shadows, FX, horror, and comedy-related news and reviews follow The Cinema Spot on Twitter (@TheCinemaSpot) and Instagram (@thecinemaspot_).
Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
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