4 Star

The Vampires are Coming Out.

It is Halloween time, and it is gothic horror time, and what a way to celebrate it with this new series of Anne Rice‘s Interview with a Vampire. The series is set in Rice’s (Mayfair Witches, The Vampire Chronicles) Immortal Universe (AMC), a shared setting with her other novels. This series concerns itself with the intense relationship between the two main protagonists, and how a vampire can enthral anyone they choose to spend their eons with. This adaptation is full of the wonders of the early 1900s New Orleans, with all its history and its bawdy habits and inhabitants. Great visuals and great acting, a delight to watch.

Dubai, 2022 and Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian, Talk Radio, Uncut Gems) has been invited to re-interview the subject of his 1973 interview, the immortal vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson, Game of Thrones, Broadchurch) who in 1910 became a successful brothel owner after his father sent their wealthy family into debt. He is a charismatic entrepreneur, who totally despises the open racism that is projected at him and the other coloured residents of Storyville.

While he goes about his nightly business, he is being scrutinized by a strange pair of eyes. Those eyes belong to Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid, The Railway Man, ’71) who observes the troubled relationship he has with his bible-bashing brother Paul (Steven G. Norfleet, Watchmen (TV Mini Series), Genius (TV Series)), his disapproving mother Florence de Pointe du Lac (Rae Dawn Chong, The Color Purple, Commando), and his loving sister Grace (Kalyne Coleman, So Help Me Todd (TV Series )).

It doesn’t take long before Lestat has got his claws into Louis as they spend their nights in the debauchery of Louis’ brothel. Soon Louis is infatuated by Lestat’s beauty, and they spend the night together, and when Lestat gives him a drink of his blood, his life changes forever. At first, he is revolted by his actions that night and refuses all of Lestat’s advances. But it is when Paul commits suicide that Lestat sees his opportunity and seizes the moment to regain Louis’ affections.

But with his mothers scorn in his ear, he runs off to confess his sins, however he never gets to fully admit his sins as Lestat rips out the priest’s throat, and rescues the wracked soul of Louis. Louis wants the pain to go away, and pleads with Lestat to take away the pain, and that is when Louis de Pointe du Lac becomes immortal.

Six years later, Louis is a very prosperous man, but he still has not come to terms with his new body and condition. He still has a good smattering of his humanity, and finds Lestat’s offhand killings and feeding habits repulsive.

Only feed on the worst of humanity. You can pretend to be a vegetarian. I can pretend to be a fool.

Malloy has trouble believing all of Louis’ accounts, as they differ from his previous interview records. But has been fifty years, and perceptions change with time, the same as grief.

They are at each other’s throats most of the time, but their bond is unbreakable, even when Louis gets Lestat to ‘save’ the young teenage Claudia (Bailey Bass, Avatar: The Way of Water, Moon and Sun), who becomes an ambitious apprentice.

Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire: Season 1 is a debauched romp into gothic horror that will have you mesmerized, with the great acting skills of these talented actors, plus the great sounds of New Orleans.

Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire: Season 1 is available on Blu-ray 6th Nov.