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Nyla Sanders, December 2022 |
On the glorious day that was October 3rd, the best show of the year aired on AMC: Interview with the Vampire.
Adapted from the popular Vampire Chronicles novels written by Anne Rice, Interview with the Vampire is a gothic horror on AMC, AMC+, On Demand, and, just recently, Prime Video. It stars actors from all corners of the world, from an Australian Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt to a British Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du Lac. The talent and chemistry of these seemingly opposite individuals is astounding. The storyline, which feels so accurate to the books yet uniquely modern, is equally enthralling as the series captivates old and new fans alike.
Note: This show contains nudity, swearing, blood, and other elements that make it a more mature viewing experience; viewer discretion is advised.
Spoilers Ahead
Show Overview
Interview with the Vampire is a cinematic retelling of the first book in the Vampire Chronicles series. It follows our main character, Louis de Pointe du Lac, as he navigates his life as a wealthy black man in 1910s New Orleans. Louis is played by the talented Jacob Anderson, who Game of Thrones fans may recognize as Grey Worm. Despite being a British man, Anderson’s country of origin is virtually forgotten in this role, as he speaks with one of the most realistic Southern American accents I’ve ever heard.
As Louis’s story goes on, the audience is introduced to his family (mother, sister, and brother), his “unique” occupation, and the hardships he faces both within himself and in a white-dominated society. The show is primarily narrated by Louis, as the events that unfold are a retelling of his past experiences when he first became a vampire. In the modern day, the series depicts Louis as a rich man living in a penthouse and recounting his mortal life to a human interviewer, Daniel Malloy. Those familiar with the movie rendition of the novel released in 1994 will recall this name, as Daniel is the same interviewer who questioned Louis before the twenty-first century. The current show uses the movie’s interview as the foundation for Louis and Daniel’s relationship as tense acquaintances. The audience learns about Louis’s life and supernatural status via his decision to retell his origin story from his older perspective (he is now 145 years old).
Jumping back to 1910’s New Orleans, it's revealed that Louis is a pimp who runs a brothel of black and white prostitutes. While the business is good for money and occasional boosts in status, Louis remains trapped in a racist society, forever lower than his white peers. It also doesn’t help that he is a closeted gay man in the South. While Louis goes through the mundanity of his life, his worldview quickly shifts when he meets the strange and beautiful Lestat de Lioncourt.
Lestat is played by the previously mentioned Sam Reid, who, despite his Australian accent, sounds very French in the series. Many book fans might appreciate this authenticity, as in the novel, Lestat comes from France and retains an accent. While the pair get off to a rocky start upon their first meeting, they eventually become friends, which leads to something more. After their first romantic night with one another, however, the friendship crumbles as Louis no longer wishes to see a constant reminder of his wants as a homosexual man.
This does not bode well for Lestat: he begs Louis to “come to [him]” so they can acknowledge what they feel as real. Louis, however, ignores these calls until one night, their feelings spill over in an event that ends with two dead priests, a vampiric reveal, a kiss, and a supernatural call for eternity. In simpler terms, Lestat, after killing two priests and draining them of blood as a response to Louis coming to church seeking forgiveness, tells Louis that he can “take away that sorrow” he has. He also tells him that he can make him live without shame and allow him to be all the beautiful things he can be without the oppression of a white world. While scared of the bloodshed surrounding him, Louis nods, reaches for Lestat, and kisses him in agreement with what Lestat is offering: the gift of vampirism.
As Louis’s story goes on, the audience is introduced to his family (mother, sister, and brother), his “unique” occupation, and the hardships he faces both within himself and in a white-dominated society. The show is primarily narrated by Louis, as the events that unfold are a retelling of his past experiences when he first became a vampire. In the modern day, the series depicts Louis as a rich man living in a penthouse and recounting his mortal life to a human interviewer, Daniel Malloy. Those familiar with the movie rendition of the novel released in 1994 will recall this name, as Daniel is the same interviewer who questioned Louis before the twenty-first century. The current show uses the movie’s interview as the foundation for Louis and Daniel’s relationship as tense acquaintances. The audience learns about Louis’s life and supernatural status via his decision to retell his origin story from his older perspective (he is now 145 years old).
Jumping back to 1910’s New Orleans, it's revealed that Louis is a pimp who runs a brothel of black and white prostitutes. While the business is good for money and occasional boosts in status, Louis remains trapped in a racist society, forever lower than his white peers. It also doesn’t help that he is a closeted gay man in the South. While Louis goes through the mundanity of his life, his worldview quickly shifts when he meets the strange and beautiful Lestat de Lioncourt.
Lestat is played by the previously mentioned Sam Reid, who, despite his Australian accent, sounds very French in the series. Many book fans might appreciate this authenticity, as in the novel, Lestat comes from France and retains an accent. While the pair get off to a rocky start upon their first meeting, they eventually become friends, which leads to something more. After their first romantic night with one another, however, the friendship crumbles as Louis no longer wishes to see a constant reminder of his wants as a homosexual man.
This does not bode well for Lestat: he begs Louis to “come to [him]” so they can acknowledge what they feel as real. Louis, however, ignores these calls until one night, their feelings spill over in an event that ends with two dead priests, a vampiric reveal, a kiss, and a supernatural call for eternity. In simpler terms, Lestat, after killing two priests and draining them of blood as a response to Louis coming to church seeking forgiveness, tells Louis that he can “take away that sorrow” he has. He also tells him that he can make him live without shame and allow him to be all the beautiful things he can be without the oppression of a white world. While scared of the bloodshed surrounding him, Louis nods, reaches for Lestat, and kisses him in agreement with what Lestat is offering: the gift of vampirism.
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Main Backstory Characters
Louis De Pointe Du Lac
Louis is one of the most tragically intricate characters I’ve ever seen. While he is no longer human, having become an eternal 33-year-old physically, he still maintains semblances of his mortal morality and judgment. This makes him unique across the Vampire Chronicles series, as many vampires shed their compass of right and wrong after they are turned and begin killing innocent people to survive. This sense of attachment to his humanity causes Louis to struggle with the necessities of vampirism. From feasting on the living to no longer being able to withstand sunlight, Louis is unable to accept being a vampire in its totality.
One thing that makes Louis interesting, however, is his occasional contradictions in character. While his rendition of his backstory occasionally portrays him as a person who can do no wrong, the audience can periodically identify his true imperfections that go against this narrative. This is seen in his complacency about Lestat murdering people, his consumption of people he thinks deserve death, his lies by omission, and the inadvertent selfishness he will eventually show his daughter, Claudia.
While Louis was present in the 1994 film, played by Brad Pitt, this televised display positively contrasts the older version, as he is no longer a white slave owner but a black man who came from the money of the sugar mill industry. Of course, as a black woman, I’m happy to see more black casting in supernatural roles. However, what makes this Louis rendition so great is that it re-establishes his narrative of being an outsider. Unlike the novel, the show challenges the notion of fitting into society by calling attention to Louis’s race along with his job and sexuality. By pulling from each of these things that force Louis to be unable to conform and live comfortably in an older America, the series creates a complex amalgamation of what gives Louis’s story of becoming a vampire depth and uniqueness compared to regular vampire media.
One thing that makes Louis interesting, however, is his occasional contradictions in character. While his rendition of his backstory occasionally portrays him as a person who can do no wrong, the audience can periodically identify his true imperfections that go against this narrative. This is seen in his complacency about Lestat murdering people, his consumption of people he thinks deserve death, his lies by omission, and the inadvertent selfishness he will eventually show his daughter, Claudia.
While Louis was present in the 1994 film, played by Brad Pitt, this televised display positively contrasts the older version, as he is no longer a white slave owner but a black man who came from the money of the sugar mill industry. Of course, as a black woman, I’m happy to see more black casting in supernatural roles. However, what makes this Louis rendition so great is that it re-establishes his narrative of being an outsider. Unlike the novel, the show challenges the notion of fitting into society by calling attention to Louis’s race along with his job and sexuality. By pulling from each of these things that force Louis to be unable to conform and live comfortably in an older America, the series creates a complex amalgamation of what gives Louis’s story of becoming a vampire depth and uniqueness compared to regular vampire media.
Lestat de Lioncourt
Lestat de Lioncourt is an aged vampire from France who moves to New Orleans looking for his next adventure on the journey of eternal life. Here he meets and immediately falls in love with Louis, doing everything he can to court him into a relationship. When the pair finally get together, their relationship goes through many phases, from loving to hating one another. What makes Lestat so entertaining is his secrecy, boisterous and caring personality, and deceiving abilities. As a character, he has very intense emotions–most overtly, his love for Louis. Despite his actions that sometimes showcase the opposite, across the books, movie, and TV show, no matter how many other lovers Lestat encounters, everyone pales compared to Louis.
This sense of neverending devotion, accompanied by his occasional antagonization of Louis and other characters, creates friction in their relationship that eventually grows into something much uglier. While new fans were rightfully upset with the brutality Lestat displayed in some episodes, when watching this character on screen, it's important to remember that he and all the other vampires are not human. While they may look and act like it, these individuals are intended to be terrifying monsters who have surpassed the rules of mortal society. With that being said, judging Lestat for his morality or lack thereof can cause viewers to diminish the complexity of his character, as it would mean applying human judgment to a nonhuman. While this isn’t to say Lestat is a great person in the series (in fact, he is quite terrible), I do find it interesting how he is able to captivate thousands of viewers with his unique personality, witty humor, and unpredictable emotions.
This sense of neverending devotion, accompanied by his occasional antagonization of Louis and other characters, creates friction in their relationship that eventually grows into something much uglier. While new fans were rightfully upset with the brutality Lestat displayed in some episodes, when watching this character on screen, it's important to remember that he and all the other vampires are not human. While they may look and act like it, these individuals are intended to be terrifying monsters who have surpassed the rules of mortal society. With that being said, judging Lestat for his morality or lack thereof can cause viewers to diminish the complexity of his character, as it would mean applying human judgment to a nonhuman. While this isn’t to say Lestat is a great person in the series (in fact, he is quite terrible), I do find it interesting how he is able to captivate thousands of viewers with his unique personality, witty humor, and unpredictable emotions.
Claudia (du Lac de Lioncourt)
I personally believe that Claudia has done no wrong (minus the gruesome murders she commits). As a 14-year-old, she was turned into a vampire by Lestat at the urging of Louis. While Lestat initially denied this plea due to her age, his love and dedication to Louis caused him to look past this crucial factor of her turning and make her a vampire. She then became the pseudo-daughter to them both, calling Louis “Daddy Lou” and Lestat “Uncle Les.”
In the past, I wasn’t a huge fan of Claudia’s role in the story, as the novel and movie portray her later relationship with Louis as rather uncomfortable. However, I loved her in the TV show; actress Bailey Bass gives Claudia an abundance of emotional depth, and her status as a black girl provided her character with much more unique reasoning for her societal alienation. Claudia, unlike her father, readily takes to killing and the ways of the vampire. This both surprises and intrigues Lestat as he nurtures her to become a successful vampire like himself, which enacts feelings of underlying frustration from Louis.
While the family unit among the trio is adorable while Claudia is a child, as she ages mentally but doesn’t grow physically, tensions rise. Claudia has one main desire: to be loved romantically. Unfortunately, as a grown woman forever in the body of a 14-year-old girl, this proves practically impossible. The main point of conflict within Claudia is how she will never find a vampire to love her in the same way her parents love one another– consequently causing Claudia to build resentment towards the pair of them for turning her, but mostly toward Lestat. She and Lestat mirror one another in terms of personality. This causes immense deterioration in their relationship, as Claudia hates Lestat for his selfishness and eventual cruelty toward her and Louis, while Lestat hates Claudia for blaming him for the traits he also sees within her. In a way, their relationship is comparable to a mother being jealous of her daughter. What makes Claudia’s character so intriguing is how she displays maturity and intelligence despite her small form. Even though she remains 14, the look in her eyes and her gradual alteration of speech really sell the story that she is not a little girl but a woman.
In the past, I wasn’t a huge fan of Claudia’s role in the story, as the novel and movie portray her later relationship with Louis as rather uncomfortable. However, I loved her in the TV show; actress Bailey Bass gives Claudia an abundance of emotional depth, and her status as a black girl provided her character with much more unique reasoning for her societal alienation. Claudia, unlike her father, readily takes to killing and the ways of the vampire. This both surprises and intrigues Lestat as he nurtures her to become a successful vampire like himself, which enacts feelings of underlying frustration from Louis.
While the family unit among the trio is adorable while Claudia is a child, as she ages mentally but doesn’t grow physically, tensions rise. Claudia has one main desire: to be loved romantically. Unfortunately, as a grown woman forever in the body of a 14-year-old girl, this proves practically impossible. The main point of conflict within Claudia is how she will never find a vampire to love her in the same way her parents love one another– consequently causing Claudia to build resentment towards the pair of them for turning her, but mostly toward Lestat. She and Lestat mirror one another in terms of personality. This causes immense deterioration in their relationship, as Claudia hates Lestat for his selfishness and eventual cruelty toward her and Louis, while Lestat hates Claudia for blaming him for the traits he also sees within her. In a way, their relationship is comparable to a mother being jealous of her daughter. What makes Claudia’s character so intriguing is how she displays maturity and intelligence despite her small form. Even though she remains 14, the look in her eyes and her gradual alteration of speech really sell the story that she is not a little girl but a woman.
conclusion
All in all, Interview with the Vampire is an amazing show, and I highly recommend a watch. From the strong black lead and captivating romance to the interesting storyline, this show offers endless opportunities for entertainment. While the romantic relationship between Louis and Lestat is nothing short of toxic, the chemistry between actors Jacob and Sam creates something that somehow makes you root for them in a twisted way. While there is an abundance of other characters with their own unique personalities in this series, for the sake of this article, these are the main three of interest. To learn more about each of these vampires and about the show in its entirety, watch Interview with the Vampire on AMC, AMC+, Prime Video, or On Demand.
nyla Sanders
