Sexuality, Age, and Memory: why the new Interview with the Vampire works so well

By Emily Hatwell

(Note: no specific spoilers, just general info about the show)

Mythology surrounding vampires is extensive, with countless cultures having a representation of humanoid, blood-drinking creatures. The etymology of the word vampire heralds from Eastern Europe, but the West African Sasabonsam, Tagalog Mandurugo, and Hispanic Chupacabra bare similarities to the tales we are all familiar with. Vampires became mainstream in English literature with the rise of the novel in the 19th century, with notable works including Le Fanu’s Carmilla and Stoker’s Dracula. This trend continued with the advent of cinema, where 1922’s Nosferatu survived legal attacks from Stoker’s estate to ascend to an untouchable place in the cultural zeitgeist. Imagery from Nosferatu and Dracula remained a cultural shorthand for vampires, and continued into the Hammer Horror films of the post-WW2 years.

In 1976, there was a disruption to the accepted canon of what a vampire could be, and that was Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire. Instead of the fanged, cloaked creatures of old, we saw characters that were monstrous, yet also deeply human. Rice’s grief following the death of her child is a consistent undercurrent throughout the book, with the child-vampire Claudia being a representation of her deceased daughter, Michelle.

Despite the book’s and subsequent Vampire Chronicles series runaway success, the famous film adaptation did not come until two decades later, with Tom Cruise and the reluctant Brad Pitt as Lestat and Louis, respectively. With a $60 million budget, the studio was taking a large risk for a genre that was associated with cheap B-movies, but it proved to be a risk worth taking, likely spurred on by similar successes in Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula and The Lost Boys. The film further generated a shift in vampiric representation. Vampires were now introverted, brooding, often grieving figures, like Louis, or extroverted, energetic, and proud of their vampirism like Lestat. Whatever form they took, they were no longer restricted by the B-movie stereotypes. Allowing personality to seep into vampires instead of relying on stock characteristics has made vampires more engaging, and allowed a greater reflection of themes onto vampire stories. Following a dismal sequel in the form of Queen of the Damned in 2002, no new adaptations of Rice’s Vampire Chronicles came until 2022, with a TV rendition of the first book that started it all; Interview with the Vampire. This new version changed Louis from the original white 18th century plantation owner into a black brothel owner in turn-of-the-century New Orleans. Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid star as the new Louis and Lestat, and the show follows the second interview Louis takes with reporter Daniel Malloy, detailing his existence as a vampire.

In both the book and film, there were constant allusions (whether deliberate or not) between vampirism and sexuality. Blood is constantly described in an erotic manner, with thirst for blood as a sexual desire, which is not uncommon in vampire literature. What is definitively different, is that previous homoerotic subtext, became text. However, the metaphors remain. A vampire turning is compared with coming out, and the separate lives of vampires mimics living outside of societal sexual norms. Louis also feels constant guilt and confliction over his vampirism, which he often thinks of in line with his sexuality. Homoeroticism and vampires have been linked for many years, with Carmilla being cited as one of the first examples of lesbian vampires. Seeing such representation explicitly without dropping the subtlety of the original work helps interpret the text for the modern day. It also builds on the work of non-vampiric but similarly gory works, such as Hannibal.

Additional to sexuality, themes of aging are common in vampire media, and 2022’s Interview with the Vampire exemplifies them perfectly while putting on its own unique twist. This comes through the form of reporter Daniel Malloy. In the original book, there is only one interview, with a young and inexperienced Daniel. In the show, they utilised the modern setting to create two parallel interviews, the original 1970s interview, and a present-day one, with an older, world-weary Daniel. This creates an interesting dynamic, because Daniel has now physically aged beyond Louis, yet he is still viewed as ‘the boy’. The juxtaposition of the two Daniels represents the pain of life and aging, but also the perseverance of creative passion; in the present day, a part of him is still the bright young reporter with a point of view. Moreover, the absence of aging in vampires creates interest, as despite the lack of visible difference, the characters evolve significantly over the course of their lives. Instead of wrinkles and grey hairs, we see more subtle changes, like Louis’ Louisiana accent fading, making it evident that he is no longer who he once was.

Despite the centuries that the vampires have lived, we connect to the characters because of their fallibility. Much of the story of this new Interview with the Vampire relies on Louis being an unreliable narrator, his memory and recollection are imperfect, down to small details, like whether it was raining. This creates a further depth to the story, as Louis’ story cannot be trusted, so Daniel’s dismantling of the proposed narrative creates a sitting-on-the-edge-of-your-seat tension, particularly in series 2 when all is not as it seems. There is also a mystery around the original interview in the 1970s, because Daniel does not remember it. It would have been easy for vampires like Louis to be omnipotent, with an impermeable memory, as we have seen with other depictions. However, the imperfections allow for the audience to relate to Louis, and to maintain interest in the plot structure of the interview, which may create an impression of inevitability. The third series, based on the second book The Vampire Lestat, is releasing later this year, bringing in new characters and perspectives. This further depth and context to what we have already seen will hopefully further build further on these underlying beats of sexuality, age, and memory. I for one, will be sat firmly in my seat for it.

Image Credit: Warner Brothers/Everett Collection