A poetic tale of two vampires, love, betrayal, sexism, racism, loyalty and immortality. 

• Gothic factor: ★★★★★
• Drama factor: ★★★★★
• Psychological factor: ★★★★★
• Horror factor: ★★★★☆

Interview with the Vampire is a story that has a slow feel about it with a Southern Gothic vibe and atmosphere. It tells the story of vampires in a poetic dramatic way that isn’t for everyone and unlike a conventional horror series. With the focus on characters it’s a psychological tale with social commentary and an unreliable narrator. It stars Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Bailey BassEric Bogosian, Assad Zaman. Created by Rolin Jones. 

It consists of 7 episodes (41- 66 min)

Plot

Louis de Pointe du Lac is a 100-year-old vampire who invites journalist Daniel Molloy to tell him his story and to make it into a book. Louis’ story starts in 1910 in New Orleans. As a black man he created his own opportunities and became wealthy with a Black Creole brothel. He takes care of his family, his sister, his brother and his mother. 

Then he meets a vampire Lestat de Lioncourt and he is quite smitten with him. Lestat is intriguing and handsome, rich and from Europe. When Lestat turns Louis into a vampire things change. Louis moves in with Lestat and while it’s uncommon for two men to live together, especially a white man and a black man, they have enough power between them to maintain their lifestyle. But their relationship is not without struggles. 

Louis doesn’t want to feed on humans, but Lestat does. And while Louis is gay, Lestat also seeks the company of women in secrecy. Also the difference in how they are treated by white men in power in New Orleans makes them not equals. 

When Louis saves a young black girl from a fire she is is so severely injured that she will die unless they turn her into a vampire. Lestat is reluctant but Louis begs him. After Claudia is turned into a vampire she becomes their adopted daughter and this results in an even more strained relationship between Lestat and Louis, which comes to a devastating decision and outcome. 

Continue reading below this announcement.

Short Review

The series is based on the novels written by Anne Rice, The Vampire Chronicles. Interview with the Vampire is the first book of 13 books in total. 

It’s a slow burn, with that typical syrupy Southern Gothic atmosphere, that focuses on drama with social themes and the characters. They are fully explored, their relationships, decisions, which gives it a psychological element. There’s enough horror, blood and gore, but that serves the story, instead of being the focus of the story. It’s part of who they are, vampires are creatures of the night and blood. 

Louis is a very interesting vampire who differs much from Lestat who is charismatic, a hedonist and selfish. While Louis cares for both Lestat and Claudia, loving them both, his love for Claudia is deeper because he feels responsible for her and sees her as a daughter whom he wants to protect. Lestat however sees Claudia as a nuisance, a teenager who will be forever an uncontrolled teenager, who is the Yoko factor in his relationship with Louis. While he cares for Louis, he doesn’t love him unconditionally, he wants him and he wants him all for himself. 

Louis however isn’t a saint either. He is an unreliable narrator who puts his own view on history and his shared history with Lestat and Claudia. He is also holding back, hides things and changes the narrative. History after all is what survivors say it is. History is never objective. That’s why it’s very interesting and smartly done to give Daniel the dairies of Claudia. It’s refreshing to hear the voice and narrative and perspective of a young black woman in 1910 in New Orleans. A woman who didn’t have a voice, even now she’s a vampire she struggles with sexism and racism, especially from other vampires. Because while she is stronger than normal men, vampires are stronger. 

Louis also struggles with racism even when he is a rich man with power, he has not real power and white powerful men can take it away from him. Even Lestat. It’s very interesting to see this history in the Jim Crow era from a vampire’s perspective, powerful beings who still have limited power in the human world. Unless Louis follows only his vampire instinct which he refuses. 

The relationships between Louis and Lestat and later Claudia are very complex and interesting and is the main focus of the series. It even can be seen as toxic. But also the relationship between Daniel and Louis is fragile and full of distrust. Daniel has problems of his own and has a terminal illness. He has met Louis before in the 1970s when he was a young journalist, but now he seems to remember more about that encounter. That has a surprising reveal in store. 

Interview with the Vampire is a gothic drama with vampires and gives a unique perspective on history, relationships, love, betrayal, loyalty, sexism, racism and what it means to be immortal. 

Read more about Interview with the Vampire:

• Interview with the Vampire season 2 review
• The Vampire Lestat/ Interview with the Vampire season 3 review