Before Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight, we had Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles, a series of thirteen novels that follows the adventures of the vampire Lestat. Anne Rice has forever redefined vampires In literature and movies, gone are the vampires with no sense of empathy or desire to explore the human world, Rice proves that even after we lose our mortality, we’re still in every sense, human.
How to Stream or Download Interview with the Vampire
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The Movie Review
The story begins with Daniel Molloy, a reporter who documents people’s life stories and discovers an interesting subject in San Francisco. When the interview begins, Louis de Pointe du Lac reveals that he is a vampire who was turned into a vampire in 1791 in Louisiana by a mysterious vampire named Lestat de Lioncourt, and Daniel learns that immortality for a vampire comes at a cost. Lestat and Louis conceive a vampire child named Claudia to start their own vampire family as they journey through the ages… but being bound for eternity with a family can be a curse in and of itself.
Director Neil Jordan’s works in The Crying Game, Mona Lisa, and The End of The Affair earned him a good number of nominations. Likewise, Interview with the Vampire was well-received after its premiere and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score and Best Art Direction.
Anne Rice, the author of the books, is also the screenwriter for the film adaptation. She initially criticized the casting choice, stating that Tom Cruise wasn’t “my vampire Lestat.” There were numerous actors considered for the role of Lestat, but Cruise won the role simply for his popularity.
Although the actors weren’t how I visualized the characters in the books, Tom Cruise was actually a show-stealer as Lestat. He reminds me a lot of Carlisle from the Twilight films, instead of Lestat from the novels, but he was still good enough and didn’t deserve all the hate.
On the other hand, I wasn’t a fan of Brad Pitt and Kirsten Dunst as Louis and Claudia. Louis ended up looking mopey and Claudia a whiny bratty kid, instead of the mature characters they were. However, it didn’t detract from all the other good things about this movie.
If it weren’t for the strange casting, I would’ve given this film a higher rating. Because for the most part, the film is a visual treat. It’s a gothic historical drama combined with a vampire film and an erotic thriller, and it was made before Hollywood embraced non-heterosexual characters.
The story is what I enjoy the most about it. It’s original and different from other vampire films that were on the line, owing to the fact that it’s told through the eyes of a vampire, giving us a glimpse into what it’s like to be a vampire. Instead of being a horror story, it tackles some rather deep and serious philosophical issues.
The Bottom Line
In conclusion, Interview with the Vampire is a stylish movie that could be better if the right people worked on it.
It’s a different kind of horror, with softer tones but a craving for blood when it’s needed. One of the film’s primary qualities is its storytelling, it’s a riveting movie that pits vampire hunger and needs against a very human element. Overall, the film is well-made, and Jordan has done an excellent job as director. The score is decent, and the set design, makeup, and costumes were convincing enough. However, the characters lack the depth required to hold the audience’s attention. Still, I would recommend this movie, and if you liked it – to read the books yourself.
