Vampires have captured the hearts and minds of audiences for over 100 years. From the original Dracula novel, to Abigail these monsters have delivered gore-soaked bloodbaths from creatures that only resemble humans.
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’s got 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.
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 was 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.
Back in the present day, Marius seeks out Lestat in order to warn him — the other vampires will not take kindly to his need for the spotlight. Lestat’s music has awoken Akasha once again, and Marius fears for the fate of the world.
Here’s when we get to see Akasha in her full glory for the first time. She arrives at a coven of vampires who plan to kill Lestat, and she eliminates all of them in a blaze of fire and fury. Jesse and Lestat meet up in Los Angeles before his concert, where she returns his journal and convinces him to let her stick around. She tries to persuade him to turn her into a vampire, and Lestat tries to scare her, but instead she just watches him as he feeds.
It’s at Lestat’s concert in Death Valley that things go extremely off the rails. A coven of vampires attacks, intending to destroy Lestat once and for all. Marius manages to help Lestat fight most of them off, and then Akasha arrives. She interrupts the show and steals Lestat away to an island, where things go from bad to worse.
The final act delivers an explosive finale. Jesse learns about the truth of her heritage, and Lestat must grapple with Akasha’s affections to his own detriment. Taking down Akasha will require a mighty sacrifice, and the ancient vampires come together to ensure she cannot bleed the world dry with her thirst for blood.
Queen of the Damned is a well-loved movie for many reasons — the excellent soundtrack, lush costuming design and dark visuals bring its world to life. I rewatch it every Halloween season, and it never disappoints, even after 23 years.
This excellent movie, unfortunately, didn’t find an audience in theaters when it was first released. Along with flopping at the box office, it also received criticism from Rice for straying from her source material. In the years since, however, it’s found a following, evolving into a cult classic for anyone who loves vampire movies or goth culture and style.
