Streaming Wars is a weekly opinion column by IGN’s Streaming Editor, Amelia Emberwing. To read the last entry, check out How Dead Boy Detectives Carved Out Its Own World in the Sandman Universe.
The AMC series Interview with the Vampire didn’t so much burst onto the scene in 2022 as it did saunter into the conversation. It hit in October, meaning it went up against the weekly releases of heavy hitters like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, House of the Dragon, and The Boys, and a large hunk of the general audience wasn’t even aware of AMC+ yet. I’m a strong proponent for the majority of the shows the Anne Rice adaptation went up against, of course, but I am also here to tell you that AMC’s Interview with the Vampire absolutely rips — sometimes literally — and that it’s well past time for you to check it out.
While the series adapts the same book that the film of the same name did back in 1994, it does so with its own spin while still acknowledging the original, fateful interview with (very human) reporter Daniel Malloy (played by Christian Slater in the film and Eric Bogosian in the current series). Louis de Pointe du Lac is now played by a Black man (Jacob Anderson) — meaning that he is very much not the plantation owner formerly described, but a brothel owner instead (the reason for the former fabrication is explained in-story). And his origins aren’t the only thing he changed from his first interview with Malloy back in ‘94.
This contemporary continuation/retelling revitalizes Rice’s original story from 1976 in ways that I never anticipated. Playing both in the past and the present is always fun — especially when the present in the story reflects current times — but I don’t know that anyone was quite ready for just how hard this new chapter of Interview with the Vampire goes. From the cast, to the story, to the gore, to the subtext becoming, well… text, there isn’t a single area where the series doesn’t excel. And I swear that when I wrote the line “subtext becoming text” it wasn’t intentionally a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reference, Giles just follows me around in life I guess.
While the writing and directing of the series are absolutely superb, it’s the performances that take Interview with the Vampire to new heights. There is a key reason that brought Louis back into Malloy’s life — one that I won’t spoil here in a column telling you to watch for yourself — and Bogosian’s portrayal as something as simple as the confidante archetype elevates Louis’ new narration in ways I never would have expected. Meanwhile, Sam Reid is so good as Lestat that he frequently makes me forget that I have hated his character for the entirety of my life. He is just so perfectly bitchy that you can’t help but love him, even as the terrible monster he is. Anderson adds a depth to Louis that had otherwise been missing in on-screen adaptations, making him more than a sad sack and bringing new layers to the character with each passing story as he orates to Malloy. And then there’s Claudia. Dear, dear Claudia. In Season 1 she is played by Bailey Bass, but the actress had to vacate the role in Season 2 due to scheduling reasons. Delainey Hayles will be taking over this upcoming season, and I am confident that she will elevate the series in her own way.
And, listen… in addition to all of that praise, it’s also wonderfully gory and hella gay. There’s just so much to love here!
Why am I here telling you that it’s time to catch up on Interview with the Vampire before Season 2 hits next week? Because I care about your happiness. And because I want it to get 20 more seasons. But let’s pretend that it’s mostly the first one.
I can hear you now, with all of your objections. “Amelia, there’s so much TV right now… I can’t.” “AMC stopped producing good shows after it put all of its focus in The Walking Dead.” “I don’t have cable anymore.” All nonsense! Especially now that Season 2 is premiering in May with far less competition than its debut.
Ok, I actually think there is a hair of validity to The Walking Dead tidbit (Better Call Saul and Preacher innocent), but Interview with the Vampire is a completely different team and AMC’s answer to actively trying to find its next flagship show! So, please know that, as someone who also broke up with The Walking Dead (aggressively), I could not recommend IWTV more. Not all AMC series are created equal! And besides, vampires are the superior undead anyway.
As for the other two imaginary objections above, it is an undeniable fact that there are too many damn shows right now. However, that means that prioritizing the best of the best should be of the highest importance. I assure you that Interview with the Vampire is just that. I cannot stress how impeccable Season 1 of the series was and, if our Season 2 review is to be believed, there’s no sophomore slump in sight for this next chapter.
Don’t have cable anymore? Who does?! (I do…) The series streams on AMC+ (It’s nine bucks a month and they have a week free trial). And if you’re wondering if one show can be enough to justify a streaming service subscription for the duration of a season, I am here to tell you that this one is.
But why not use that one week free trial to find out for yourself? Now is the perfect time to binge that first season before Season 2 hits on Sunday, May 12. It means you won’t have to go through the same agony that the rest of us who watched Season 1 did while we waited for the next part of the story to hit! And if you need one final point to drive home just how exceptional this continuation has been, take into account that the majority of fans who watched the first season know exactly where this story is going thanks to the book and film, but we’ve been begging for the second season from the moment the credits rolled on the finale of the first.
