Self The journalist I hadn’t already done it then Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice is about to bring Sam Reid to the international stage.
Elevated in the enigmatic role of Lestat, in AMC’s new take on a modern horror classic, Reid is at his theatrical best: stealthy, sexy, pirouetting with panache in 1910s New Orleans extravagance.
But make no mistake, Anne Rice’s 1976 novel gets an update in 2022, mostly starting in Dubai in the midst of a pandemic.
It is here that journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) comes face to face with vampire Louis (Jacob Anderson), 49 years after their last meeting. If you’ve seen Tom Cruise’s blockbuster, those roles were played by Christian Slater and Brad Pitt, respectively.
In the AMC version, Louis is of African American descent, born into a wealthy black family, but peddles prostitutes in the red light district of Liberty Street. This contrasts markedly with his brother Paul (Steven Norfleet), a Christian fanatic who struggles with his brother who strays from the path of righteousness. As Louis 2022 recounts the meeting with Lestat, we relive everything from his point of view.
When the French vampire sets his sights on the handsome young Louis, he embodies his conquest so that it becomes impossible for him to resist. It will prove to be the beginning of a very long, very torrid, very bloody relationship between the two, acting as murderous puppeteers in New Orleans and steaming up the screen in the process.
The chemistry between Sam Reid and Jacob Anderson is electric, imploding into passion and violence in ways the film never dared to go.
As Louis recalls, the meeting with Lestat ignited, “feelings of intimacy awoke within me” and the faults that would follow…
But in a new move by writer Rolin Jones, there were also the dangers of being recognized as an “openly gay nigger in New Orleans.” Is it worse than being the undead…?
It’s no wonder Reid was cast in this role, effortless, sexy, scary, yet you can’t help but empathize with Louis who is mesmerized by his charm.
They make it difficult for others to bask in the same daylight, but Eric Bogosian, tethered by necessity to his laptop as Louis tells his story, is just as dynamic…grounded, curious, cynical, and fearless. It’s the best thing he’s done in a long time.
The production design is indulgently beautiful, filled with lush and pristine French colonial buildings, wardrobes and props. Themes of lust, guilt, terror abound.
As a premium drama it ticks all the adult boxes…sex, gore, tantalizing sets, vivid performances, lively humor, and just the right amount of shocks, falls, and casualties.
The series follows from another AMC+ vampire saga, Indigenous Australian Fire bite, which was not seen by enough people due to the platform’s more limited access. AMC+ is available in Australia as an add-on channel via Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video e Interview with the vampire it could very well be the one that draws the most subscriptions, if gothic horror is your thing.
Fiendishly entertaining, this is more layered and more satisfying than the feature film that preceded it.
Anne Rice’s interview with the Vampire begins Sunday, October 2 on AMC+
