Roush Review: AMC’s Seductive ‘Interview With the Vampire’ Has Passionate Bite

Matt Roush
5 Comments
Sam Reid as Lestat Du Lioncourt and Jacob Anderson as Louis De Pointe Du Lac in Interview with the Vampire
Review
Michele K. Short/AMC

Interview With the Vampire

Matt's Rating: rating: 4.0 stars

“Let the tale seduce you, just as I was seduced,” beckons the dashing, undead Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) to the jaded journalist (Eric Bogosian) he’s spirited to Dubai in the middle of the pandemic to hear his story. Anyone who’s fallen under Anne Rice’s spell knows what to expect, and AMC’s deluxe series adaptation of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire delivers: supernatural thrills charged with extravagant erotic tension, deep philosophical angst and flowery language befitting a Gothic romance.

Lust mingles with bloodlust when the mercurial ancient vampire Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) puts his immortal mark on Louis in early-1900s New Orleans, spottily recreated by an unfortunately uneven supporting cast. Thankfully, Anderson (Game of Thrones‘ Grey Worm) holds the screen as the conflicted Louis, then and now. As a Black and (until Lestat reveals his true nature) closeted gay man at the turn of the last century, the ambitious “pleasure house”-owning entrepreneur Louis was already something of an outlier, considering his race and sexuality.

'Interview with the Vampire' Cast Teases Reimagined Version of Anne Rice Classic
Related

'Interview with the Vampire' Cast Teases Reimagined Version of Anne Rice Classic

Unburdening himself in the shadow of COVID, Louis in retrospect sees himself as “easy prey for the discerning predator.” Once he succumbs to the drug of vampirism in scenes that scorch the screen just as they did on the page, his feverishly passionate and turbulent union with Lestat only complicates his tormented view of humanity, morality and eternal existence.

When they bring adolescent Claudia (Bailey Bass) into their home in a perverse attempt to create a family unit, things spiral further out of control, with the narcissistic and petulant Lestat losing patience with Claudia’s tantrums and Louis’ stubborn ambivalence toward killing. This is heavy, heady material, so I appreciated lighter grace notes like the visual gag of Louis and Lestat sleeping in separate coffins — as if! — and the trio giggling their way through the influential 1922 silent vampire classic Nosferatu.

Interview with the Vampire

Alfonso Bresciani/AMC

Rice’s soulful ghouls defy horror-movie cliché, and I’m now eager to see how AMC fares with Rice’s other opus, the “Lives of the Mayfair Witches” series that began with the unforgettable The Witching Hour. Halloween has come early this year, and I’m not complaining.

Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, Series Premiere, Sunday, October 2, 10/9c, AMC (also streaming on AMC+) 

Interview With the Vampire (2022) key art

Let the News Seduce You

Get absolutely everything about Interview With the Vampire in your inbox!

AMC+

AMC

Series

2022–

TVMA

Drama

Romance

Where to Stream

Latest Headlines

More Interview With the Vampire (2022) ›
Interview With the Vampire (2022)Anne RiceBailey BassEric BogosianJacob AndersonSam Reid



Conversation5 Comments

Please read the TV Insider Community Guidelines.

Comments are closed on this story.

  1. O

    OlivePaw

    Omg. Loved it. Both leads are great and sexy!

    3

  2. O

    OliveDice

    Loved It! Great update/expansion of the original material, IMHO

  3. O

    OrangeCandy

    This fails to tell how much they've butchered the story (the book).

    They changed the time-period, Louis' race and occupation (he's supposed to be a white Frenchman slave owner on his family's plantation in 1791 New Orleans). And from this review I've now learned they changed the location of the interview... that's supposed to be in San Francisco not Dubai. Oh and while I understand a SLIGHT aging of Claudia is probably necessary for the story/acting required... to age her from the book's 5 or 6 to what's supposed to be teens I think (played by an actress in her 20's of course)? They've basically created an entirely new story. If you think a book is so "broken" why not write your OWN original and entirely new story?

    If any new fans are created by this TV series, they are going to be greatly surprised when they seek out and read the book. I'm only going to watch out of loyalty and love to Anne's vampire novels, if it angers me too much I may stop before the series is done.

    7 12

    1. M

      MTM

      OMG, get over yourself! It's called artistic license. This project is an adaptation of a fictional story that had Rice's approval and is being shepherded by her son (a talented author in his own right). Did you even see this version? Anne Rice famously hated the casting of Tom Cruise in the feature film, but quickly reversed her criticism after watching his entire performance. How about taking a cue from her and judging the program on its own merit? I am thrilled that her works are being adapted and look forward to forming an opinion AFTER I watch them.

      8 2

    2. B

      BlueBox

      Since child vampires don't age, they really had no choice but to cast older for a series.

      3