Considerably bettering upon the 1994 movie, “Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire” does extra than simply add the late writer’s title to the title, ambitiously updating the story, introducing a racial element and serving up loads of intercourse and gore. Determined to switch “The Strolling Useless,” AMC may need accomplished an inconceivable baton move from zombies to a different form of undead.
Though the outlines mirror Rice’s gothic novel, the collection manages to concurrently develop upon them as if this had been a sort-of sequel and reinvent sure elements, all whereas upping the quota on sexuality and violence into tiers occupied by the edgiest premium-TV fare. In that sense, this appears to have been produced at the least as a lot with AMC+ in thoughts because the linear community AMC.
Jacob Anderson (attending to say much more than he did as Gray Worm in “Sport of Thrones,” and profiting from it) stars as Louis de Pointe du Lac, telling his story to a now-older journalist (Eric Bogosian) whose dismissive, sarcastic angle appears to be flirting with fangs for the reminiscences.
Assembly in a pandemic-ravaged future that brings further resonance to the story, the pink meat nonetheless exists in flashbacks to Louis’ previous with Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid), the suave vampire who made him; and later Claudia (Bailey Bass), a barely older (once more) spin on the kid vampire whose perpetual state of adolescence captures the tragedy of her arc in a barely totally different method.
Louis and Lestat hook up in New Orleans throughout the early 1900s, a time and place the place such interactions are attainable however the racism of the occasions is overtly expressed, and a continuing element of the narrative.
Tailored by Rolin Jones (HBO’s reimagined “Perry Mason”) with early episodes directed by Alan Taylor (“The Sopranos”), there’s a palpable stress in Anderson and Reid’s performances, with the previous managing to be wistful and scary sooner or later and confused, melancholy and sometimes exultant previously. As constructed, there’s additionally the intriguing situation of what would immediate him to step out of the shadows to share his story.
Not like its ageless characters, “Vampire” may not be suited to a very future, though AMC has already introduced a second season, a well-deserved vote of confidence primarily based on its extraordinarily promising begin. That’s excellent news for each viewers and the community, for whom – on the verge of bidding farewell to its greatest hit – the stakes couldn’t be increased.
The motion, when it occurs, is swift, bloody and brutal. But the collection format affords this incarnation vital latitude as a personality research, together with the immortal loneliness that may immediate Lestat to create himself a companion, and Louis’ subsequent dedication to Claudia, with all of the related rising pains that go along with it. The identical goes for fleshing out supporting gamers, comparable to Louis’ mom (Rae Daybreak Chong) and sister (Kalyne Coleman), versus simply trotting smaller roles out for the slaughter.
“Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire” premieres October 2 at 10 p.m. ET on AMC and AMC+.