Vampires are one of the most popular creatures that go bump in the night. From the gothic romance of Dracula to horror comedy vibes of Abigail, these monsters have captivated audiences for more than 100 years. There's something about creatures that look like normal people but feed on blood that entices our attention.
Novelist Anne Rice's vampire catapulted vampires to super stardom between her 1980s books and the Tom Cruise/Brad Pitt adaptation of Interview With a Vampire in the '90s. However, her books extend far beyond Louis and Lestat's story. This movie is an adaptation of two novels and while Rice wasn't a fan, plenty of other people are.
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Queen of the Damned is easily one of my favorite vampire flicks. Released in 2002, it's a dark and seductive romp that sees the vampire Lestat awaken the original vampire Akasha. It has a killer soundtrack, gorgeous costumes and it's streaming free on Tubi right now.
I've loved vampires since I was a kid, inhaling every vampire movie or book I could get my hands on. From campy classics to blood soaked gore fests, each one brings something different to the genre. Creatures of the night who look like humans are the ultimate predators.
Queen of the Damned was the first major vampire film of the 21st century and it leaned hard into the music and gothic sensibilities of the early 2000s -- for more than 20 years it's been one of my absolute favorites.
Lestat has been asleep for a century when he awakens to a changed world. Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures
The story is told primarily from the perspective of the vampire Lestat, who awakens after a 100-year slumber to a world that is very different from the one he left when he laid himself down to rest. After he rises, he turns himself into a hard rock star by joining a band and coming out of the shadows. His secret is uncovered by Jesse Reeves, a researcher for the mysterious Talamasca, a secret society of mystics and paranormal investigators.
Jesse learns of Lestat's past through his journal, which leads to a series of flashback scenes, including a night of playing music in a strange chamber where Lestat nearly awakens Akasha (played by Aaliyah), the mother of all vampires.
Lestat feeds from Akasha and becomes drunk on the purest blood a vampire can imbibe, before being warned by his maker Marius that Akasha nearly drank Egypt dry before losing her bloodlust and becoming a living statue. Marius steals away and takes Akasha's statue, hoping to hide her from Lestat.
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