Year: 2015
Runtime: 86 min
Language: English
Three centuries-old vampires, Viago, Deacon, and Vladislav, share a dilapidated house in Wellington, New Zealand, and struggle to adapt to modern life. They grapple with everyday problems like paying bills, cleaning up messes, and dealing with annoying neighbors, all while trying to maintain their ancient traditions and supernatural needs. Their existence is complicated further by the arrival of a fourth vampire, Petyr, and the challenges of navigating the human world while concealing their true identities.
Warning: spoilers below!
Haven’t seen What We Do in the Shadows yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!
Still thinking about how What We Do in the Shadows (2015) ended? Here’s a full breakdown of the ending, key final moments, major twists, and the deeper meaning behind the film’s conclusion.
The finale of What We Do in the Shadows takes a humorous and meta turn as it abruptly ends the long-running documentary style of the series. After six seasons, the vampire crew has finally filmed all they need, and the documentary crew decides to stop filming the vampires’ everyday lives, leaving Guillermo confused and seeking clarity. Unlike the vampires, Guillermo is genuinely upset, and this moment reveals how much he’s grown attached to their world. To explain the ending, the series flashes back to an old black-and-white film made by real documentary filmmakers, the Maysles Brothers, showing that perhaps the vampire existence has remained unchanged for decades.
In a playful twist, the finale presents three alternate versions of Nadja’s “perfect” hypnosis scene, each parodying different film styles. The first spoofs a sitcom, implying that Nandor and Guillermo are just everyday people in a romantic relationship, and that the entire series might have been a dream. The second recreates the iconic ending of The Usual Suspects, featuring characters dressed as the main vampires and including flashbacks from previous seasons. The third re-creates the horror classic Rosemary’s Baby, offering a darker, horror-themed ending.
Amidst these playful scenes, Guillermo watches the old film and realizes that the vampires haven’t changed at all, which is both a humorous and poignant reminder of their unchanging nature. Despite Guillermo’s desire to leave the vampire world behind and pursue his own future, Nandor surprises him by inviting him into a secret vigilante lair—concealed in the coffin that Nandor has built. What appears to be a gesture of gratitude turns out to be a clever way for Nandor to keep Guillermo under their wing, emphasizing that Guillermo’s story isn’t over. The series closes with Guillermo reluctantly joining Nandor in the lair, suggesting that, while the documentary has ended, Guillermo’s adventures with the vampire crew are far from finished. Ultimately, it’s a comically emotional goodbye that hints at new beginnings for Guillermo, intertwined with the ongoing chaos and humor of their supernatural lives.
Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:59
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