[Review] “Wellington Paranormal” is an Exceptional Spinoff That Often Surpasses “What We Do in the Shadows”

‘Wellington Paranormal’ is the horror comedy that genre fans have been waiting for and it’s far more than a silly ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ spin-off.

Television has become a haven for cutting edge horror content and there are greater risks being taken with programs that gleefully deconstruct the genre or combine it together with other extremes, as if it’s some Frankenstein’s monster. Horror comedies grow progressively savvy and have never had more material to pull from or more freedom to experiment. What We Do in the Shadows is one of the most popular examples to come out in the past few years, and the series allows Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi to push their unpredictable vampire comedy to ridiculous places. One of the most appealing aspects of both the film and television versions of What We Do in the Shadows is the distinct world that they create, yet this paranormal potpourri fully realizes its potential in Wellington Paranormal, an exceptional spin-off that often surpasses its blood-sucking sister series.

Wellington Paranormal centers around the Wellington Police’s Paranormal Unit in New Zealand, headlined by Officers Kyle Minogue (Mike Minogue), O’Leary (Karen O’Leary) and Sergeant Maaka (Maaka Pohatu), all of who first appear in the 2014 film. The series retains the mockumentary cinéma vérité style that’s present in the other corners of the What We Do in the Shadows universe, but it makes a slightly greater impact in this case due to the police procedural structure that it also embraces. Ostensibly, each episode of Wellington Paranormal is not far off from that classic X-Files episode that crosses over with an installment of COPS. Minogue and O’Leary engage in police protocol while they simultaneously temper their fears over the supernatural circumstances that currently disturb the peace.

There’s an incredibly natural energy to Wellington Paranormal’s cast, which is only amplified by how these actors play characters that essentially have their names and aren’t supposed to feel that removed from reality (Kyle Minogue continually getting called Kylie Minogue is also a joke that keeps on giving). This is only strengthened by the show’s stable of New Zealand actors, most of which American audiences won’t recognize, unlike the prominent guest stars that show up on What We Do in the Shadows. No one that watches Wellington Paranormal is going to confuse it with reality, but the mockumentary angle becomes more immersive through this cultural schism.

Wellington Paranormal also hits during a time where cops have become increasingly controversial figures, yet the comedy tows the right line that reiterates their perpetual buffoonery rather than heaping them with praise. Most of their successes come across as lucky coincidences instead of professional brilliance. It’s easy to dismiss foolish characters in comedy, but Wellington Paranormal excels in this regard. It routinely presents Minogue, O’Leary, and Maaka as bumbling dunces, but in ways that are always surprising and hilarious.

A recurring element throughout the series are inane police briefings where the authorities attempt to explain or poke holes through strange occurrences that are clearly the work of monsters. Detectives are so oblivious that they can see unfinished graffiti warnings about zombies, but still be clueless because the message literally isn’t spelled out for them. A ravenous lunatic with bad skin can growl about “brains” and the police just think that they’re a fanatic over “grains” and healthy eating, even when they’re caught in the throes of an attack. Wellington’s Paranormal Unit is made up of the very best kind of high-functioning idiots that are always just a misstep away from either unintentionally solving a supernatural problem, or getting consumed by it.

There’s a cyclical “Who’s on First” style to the dialogue in Wellington Paranormal as characters debate over supernatural creatures. The slapstick nature of the police’s bumbling antics work together with the ridiculous dialogue to create such consistent and silly comedy. The trajectory of episodes never takes the traditional or lazy approach to these horror archetypes and it’s genuinely exciting to see Wellington Paranormal combine genre fodder with prescient social commentary. Wellington Paranormal is created by both Waititi and Clement, but these aren’t just empty producer credits. Clement is responsible for some of the series’ strongest scripts and also directs nearly half of the episodes. His voice and the same playful passion for horror that’s present in What We Do in the Shadows is absolutely present in Wellington Paranormal.

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What We Do in the Shadows is about to enter its third season, but Wellington Paranormal actually first aired in 2018, which means that it predates What We Do’s TV counterpart. These programs share a lot of the same DNA and will inevitably be compared, but there’s a fundamental difference between the two series. What We Do in the Shadows examines how its well-defined cast of vampires fail to fit into the changing world around them. Wellington Paranormal still has strong characters that feel like individuals, not caricatures, but it’s much more about turning the lens outward and commenting upon the weirdness of the world around them than it is about how the central characters of the series inherently clash with society. The cluelessness of these detectives is an important part of Wellington Paranormal, but the fact that they’re also humans is absolutely essential to the series’ comedy. Wellington Paranormal wouldn’t be nearly as effective if either Minogue or O’Leary were a vampire and it’s appreciated that the series shows restraint here and reserves the supernatural creatures to outside of the police force.

Additionally, What We Do in the Shadows occasionally branches out to tackle subject matter like witches or werewolves, but the series is so thoroughly steeped in vampire conventions. One of Wellington Paranormal’s greatest assets is the considerably broader scope that it adopts with its storytelling. Episodes tackle many common horror staples like ghosts, zombies, aliens, and shapeshifters. There’s even an absurdist riff on the Avengers and the boom of superhero content with an excellent episode that focuses on misfits with very mundane and unusual abilities that could easily fuel its own spin-off. One of the best episodes of the lot focuses on an AI takeover, but one that’s restricted to outdated mobile phones.

At the same time, Wellington Paranormal also shines a light on lesser known supernatural entities, like the Taniwha and Maero, which are a sea monster and Bigfoot equivalent out of Maori culture and the type of beasts that would never show up on What We Do in the Shadows. Other episodes also find fear in unexpected places, like a plastic bag that’s caught in a non-existent updraft that manages to be just as unnerving as any werewolf, vampire, or murderous beast. All of this ultimately makes Wellington Paranormal feel more limitless than What We Do in the Shadows, even though that series feels like it has endless potential with what it’s able to explore. Wellington Paranormal confidently stands on its own, but there are also some satisfying connections to What We Do in the Shadows that fans will appreciate, such as appearances from Rhys Darby’s Anton the werewolf or Nick the vampire. 🧛‍♀️

Wellington Paranormal is a fantastic extension to What We Do in the Shadows that should satisfy most horror and comedy fans. Admittedly, no one in the cast is as captivating as Matt Berry or the rest of What We Do in the Shadows’ accomplished performers, but it’s hard to not fall in love with their affable energy and awkward chemistry. Wellington Paranormal is more than just a hackneyed spin-off and it contains some of the best jokes and strongest writing out of the entirety of the What We Do in the Shadows universe. The New Zealand series finding a home on the CW does feel a little unusual, but it immediately makes Wellington Paranormal the funniest show on the network as well as a crown jewel in HBO Max’s growing library of genre programming. Wellington Paranormal won’t just help pass the time until What We Do in the Shadows’ third season premieres in September, but it’s so hilarious and entertaining that it may make you forget entirely about the vampire comedy as you lose yourself in these supernatural cop shenanigans.