First Impressions:
The plot was true to the books in a lot of ways but took clever liberties where needed to convey this epic story from the brilliant mind of Anne Rice to audiences who want to drive their fangs into a new vampire series.
Story Analysis:
As a reporter attempting to debunk (again, anyway) and simultaneously capture the 'true story' of a 33-year old man who was allegedly turned into a vampire in the early 1900s, Daniel Molloy started season 1 on a compelling note.
Both Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid gave riveting and bold performances as Louis de Pointe du Lac and Lestat de Lioncourt, respectively. Their acting and on-screen chemistry more than enriched "Interview with the Vampire" season 1.
For some strange reason, their same-sex bonding held a secret layer of significance that went beyond the romance captured in select scenes. Anne Rice would've been proud.
Gothic vibes and vampiric tensions created all the captivating content season 1 needed to make a good first impression. It only had seven episodes, but they made each one count.
There's hope for more, because AMC already confirmed that season 2 "Interview with the Vampire" has begun shooting. We may be seeing more of these characters in late 2023 or early 2024.
Hair-makeup and costume design were outstanding. Art direction and set decoration were admirable. Stunts and VFX were superb. Sound effects and editing were remarkable. Musical scoring was great. Cinematography was amazing. Screenplay was well-balanced. Direction was notable.
Final Notes:
Plenty of scenes in "Interview with the Vampire" season 1 captured what it means to be human, and not in the post-card-goody-goody way. It made being a vampire a tad challenging but also a powerful supernatural state of being that could be bestowed on humans 'afflicted' with mortality.
I liked how faithful the series was to Anne Rice's writing and vision for these characters in her Vampire Chronicles, a set of ten books published from 1976 to 2018.
The way the story arced and intensified was a treat to watch. It went to all the right places and focused more on the vampiric angle than anything else.
What I liked the most in S01 "Interview with the Vampire" was the deep philosophical and psychological angles the characters explored, shedding much-needed light on the nuances of being a vampire co-existing with humans.