Gothic romanticism AND gore.

Rating: 8/10 (19 May 2012)

With its photogenic cast and a story-line revolving around the emotional anguish that goes hand in hand with vampirism, Interview With The Vampire could be accused of being the 90s precursor to Twilight; its vamps might be sad, however, but they sure ain't sappy: the vampire Lestat (Tom Cruise) would happily tear Edward a new one; Claudia (Kirsten Dunst) would rip out Bella's throat without batting an eyelid; Louis (Brad Pitt) would find it hard to join in at first, but his hunger would prevail. That's because Interview With The Vampire is a proper vampire movie with proper vamps designed for a mature audience, not watered down PG-13 tripe aimed at the less discriminate teen demographic.
Interview's bloodsuckers might have emotional issues to deal with—immortality and a constant craving for blood doesn't come without its baggage—but when it comes down to it, these guys see mortals as food and having a relationship with dinner is only going to get messy (much better to slash their throat and be done with it); Interview's brutal bloodsuckers (and its R-rating) ensure that viewers get a healthy helping of gore to go with their Gothic romanticism, Stan Winston's incredible effects giving the film plenty of bite. Factor in excellent direction from Neil Jordan and great turns from its stars (Dunst is amazing for her age), and what you have is a terrific vampiric horror in the truest sense.