Absence certainly makes the (undead) heart grow fonder, as our favorite gay vampire romance series rises from the dead nearly two years since last season concluded. Billed as The Vampire Lestat rather than Interview With the Vampire III, this explosive evolution of Anne Rice’s iconic Vampire Chronicles douses Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) in glam-rock energy. Daniel Hart provides music and original songs that capture Lestat’s wild David Bowie era. The perspective entirely pivots from the distinctive voice and narration of Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson), opting to fully focus on Lestat’s perspective moving forward and backwards through time. If the first two seasons catalogued a gothic romance and a toxic breakup, this third go-round feels like the ultimate vampiric comeback tour. Disgustingly gory and hyper-sexualized, The Vampire Lestat injects a contagious musicality into a decades-spanning love story, whilst still remaining slavishly faithful to Anne Rice’s established mythology.
In case you’re in need of a refresher, last season concluded with Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) finally publishing his book, Interview With the Vampire. The entire vampire community—and secret society, the Talamasca—is really, really not happy their secrets are being exposed. Even the introduction lets us know The Vampire Lestat will be something new: a very punk rock opening title sequence plays out, spruced with classic vampire imagery, supercharged by Reid’s vocals amid the epic song, “All Fall Down.” Lestat launches his rock career, charging into a 54-city rock tour beginning with a chaotic Detroit performance. In present day, a mysterious auction involving the band’s belongings unfolds; more specifically, master recordings and a carefully-curated music box of goodies are up for grabs. The way this all connects to the overarching storyline can grow a little foggy at times, particularly as each episode goes out of its way to announce the exact number album and side we are “listening” to as it unfolds.
What immediately stands out is how completely the series commits to Lestat as its narrator. Unlike Louis, who often viewed events through guilt and exquisitely structured prose, Lestat recounts life as frantically as his personality permits. Stories contradict themselves, and the timelines blur, as their reality bends around its unreliable narrator. The result is intentionally erratic but weirdly fitting for a character whose immortal ego reigns supreme. The beating heart at the center remains locked upon Louis and Lestat. Sam Reid somehow elevates an already career-defining performance. His seductive take on the centuries-old bloodsucker comes with a surprising level of emotional vulnerability. One moment he’s leaning into his rock star excess, the next he’s reliving the trauma and abandonment of his past. The season never lets you forget that beneath Lestat’s aura lies a man who desperately wants to be loved at any cost.
Louis still gets plenty to do as well, particularly as he obsesses over the deep loss of Claudia (Delainey Hayles), and the flagrant betrayal from shifty Armand (Assad Zaman). While Lestat spirals through his ballooning fame, Louis spends much of the season wrestling with Claudia’s memory, and his complicated role in Daniel’s book of lies. Anderson plays Lestat’s view of Louis a little differently: still loving and tender, but quieter and calmer in a way. Even his line deliveries feel a little different. Daniel’s sarcasm frustrates, but as a documentarian making a movie about Lestat’s band, he certainly takes center stage. Armand continues his flagrant manipulations despite being on an alleged apology tour, marking his reappearance as quite dangerous.
The Vampire Lestat band fills its roster with a collection of intriguing characters, including eternally tormented former frontman, Larry (Noah Reid); Larry’s brother, the straight edge and more talented Alex (Seamus Patterson); the “dumb” bassist, Salamander (Ryan Kattner); and TC (Sarah Swire), whom Lestat remarks is an abandoned bride with an axe to grind. The band never becomes the focal point, but they certainly serve to raise the standards of Lestat’s live performances. We get to see plenty of this element in action, discovering the nuances of live performance and recordings. As if Reid wasn’t already ferociously talented enough, boy can he sing as well. The new characters that make the most mark are Gabriella (Jennifer Ehle), Lestat’s mother, and Akasha (Sheila Atim), the Queen of the Damned who gets lovingly teased throughout. The season dives heavily into Gabriella’s shocking relationship with Lestat, revealing one of the strangest parent-child dynamics in the franchise. As for Akasha, through Lestat’s memories, we finally begin unraveling the origins of Anne Rice’s arguable most iconic female vampire. A growing psychic connection to Lestat suggest enormous consequences ahead, clearly positioning Akasha as the looming threat and potential Big Bad.
The emotional gravity of the show always pulls back toward Louis and Lestat. No matter the circumstances, even in the riveting musical performances, Lestat seems to always have Louis on the brain. The duo face plenty of trials and tribulations, only serving to ratchet up the sexual tension leading back down the path to an obvious reconnection. With the audience rooting wholeheartedly for their every interaction, the careful build to these satisfying moments feels perfectly orchestrated. Many montages and vital moments are punctuated by the power of excellent vocals.
The first six episodes provided to critics are stylish, heartbreaking, and wildly ambitious. The Vampire Lestat is arguably the boldest season yet. The tear-jerking complexity that made this work in the first place has never once been sacrificed. Despite a difference in structure and a much heavier emphasis on the music, the romance stays focused, and the character of Lestat grows in completely unexpected ways. One can only hope they continue this trajectory of adapting Anne Rice’s works—despite helping to set up the show initially, Rice passed away before the first episode even aired. There can be no doubt Rice would be thrilled that her work continues to endure for audiences around the globe. Razor sharp and insanely entertaining, The Vampire Lestat has never been better… or sexier.
Sink your teeth into The Vampire Lestat, levitating weekly over at AMC and AMC+.
