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Critical response
Both seasons of Interview with the Vampire have been met with critical praise. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the overall series holds an approval rating of 94%. Meanwhile, on Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, the overall series has a score of 81 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim".

Season 1
OLD VERSION The first season received positive reviews from critics, with praise going towards the writing, tone, costumes, soundtrack,  production values, chemistry between the two lead actors,  and performances of the cast. Rotten Tomatoes reported a 98% approval rating with an average rating of 8.1/10, based on 80 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "With a playful tone and an expansive sweep that allows Anne Rice's gothic opus to mull like a chalice of blood, Interview with the Vampire puts a stake through concerns that this story couldn't be successfully resurrected." Metacritic assigned a score of 80 out of 100 based on 30 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Variety included Anderson and Reid in its list of "Best TV Performances" of 2022 and wrote, "Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid rose to the occasion with unforgettable style. Reid unleashed hell as the perpetually hungry Lestat, Anderson gave one of the year's point-blank best performances [...] it's all too easy to understand why millions remain so invested in this romance, vicious and doomed though it is." TV Guide also listed both Anderson and Reid as one of the 20 best TV performances of the year, placing them at number five, and wrote, "Their sizzling chemistry and wholehearted commitment to making Louis and Lestat's hell marriage as toxic as possible is what makes Interview with the Vampire work. Separately, Anderson and Reid are exemplary. Together, they're lightning in a bottle." IndieWire included Reid in its list of "28 Best Film and TV Performances" of the year and wrote, "Reid took on the role with all the force, charm, and horror that [Anne] Rice dished out in her 1976 book. [...] Every minute of Reid's performance here is a master class in manipulation." Additionally, the website also named the series' poster one of the "33 Best Film and TV Posters of 2022". The A.V. Club also listed Anderson as one of the 16 best TV performances of 2022, placing him at number fourteen, and wrote, "Anderson is equal parts charming and heartbreaking as Louis. The show delves into queer elements far more than the film did (sold thoroughly thanks to Anderson and Reid's chemistry). With his invigorating work, Anderson doesn’t just live up to the film's take on Louis, previously played by Brad Pitt, but he arguably exceeds it." Film School Rejects named the final scene of the first episode as the twelfth best of the year and wrote, "The scene itself embodies all of the show’s facets, beginning with a brilliant performance from Anderson [...] Reid flits from frightening to seductive to arrogant and back again as Rice’s Brat Prince personified. Interview with the Vampire has made the best first impression of any show this year." CNN included the series in its article on the return of the "beloved fantasy realms" on TV and wrote, "The series makes sexuality and race central themes, inextricably tied to the story of emotionally tortured vampires trying to be a family and the journalist trying to get the story."

Especially for the chemistry between the two actors, TVLine included a scene between Anderson and Reid's characters from the first episode in its list of "17 Sexiest Scenes" in 2022 and wrote, "It was love at first bite for Louis and Lestat, whose off-the-charts chemistry was undeniable in the show's premiere as temptation gave way to seduction." Time praises the performances of Anderson and Reid and wrote, "Only actors with the chemistry of Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid, who play Interview’s central couple, could make the passion between immortal lovers." Decider also named Anderson and Reid as the co-stars who "oozed the most incandescent chemistry with each other this year" and wrote, "Together these two actors vibe on a wavelength that is nothing short of magical. [...] Reid and Anderson let their bodies expose their characters' emotions. They have an electric connection and the kind of chemistry that becomes legendary." The same website listed a sex scene as the fourth best of the year and wrote, "Only one show this year showed us just how magical the otherworldly connection between two lovers could be. AMC's triumphant series works because of the intense bond between the vampire Lestat and his beloved, bedraggled creation Louis." Queerty listed the scene as one of the 10 hottest, wildest, gayest TV moments of 2022, placing it at number six, and wrote, "In its premiere, Louis (Anderson) and Lestat (Reid) lunge at each other with an animal-like intensity." TV Insider included Anderson and Reid in its list of "16 Breakout TV Stars" of 2022 and wrote, "There's no separating Louis and Lestat." Collider also included Louis and Lestat in its list of "Best TV Duos" of 2022 and wrote, "The actors’ chemistry is off the charts from the start [...] Even when Louis is angry with Lestat, they only want each other more." Vanity Fair praises the portrayal of Louis and Lestat in the series and wrote, "Anderson and Reid's chemistry is unrivaled. To watch them on screen together is to watch a master class in charm and manipulation, in lust and anguish. Anderson conveys unimaginable depth [...] Reid, a storm of intoxicating fury, is magnetic." Pride named the series the best TV show of 2022 and wrote, "But most importantly of all, the chemistry between stars Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid is astronomical."

For individual episodes, the season finale "The Thing Lay Still" was named the best TV episode of 2022 by Mashable. Slashfilm ranked the first episode "In Throes of Increasing Wonder..." as the tenth best TV episode of the year and wrote, "The series' first episode is a variety pack of indelibly dark and entertaining moments, from Louis and Lestat's naked, hovering consummation to the gory finale that sees Lestat punch a hole through a priest's head to show his new lover he means business." Syfy Wire also included the first episode in its list of "Best Sci-Fi and Horror TV Episodes of 2022" and wrote, "Smart, richly produced, and perfectly acted, we get a fresh take and an updating of Rice's book and mythology that honors her world", while Primetimer included the episode in its list of "Best TV Episodes of 2022" and wrote, "A thrilling — if ironic — breath of life, proving that TV's determination to cannibalize any and all intellectual property can still show us something new." TV Guide placed the sixth episode "Like Angels Put in Hell by God" as the eleventh best TV episode of the year in its "20 Best TV Episodes" list, who also included the first episode in its list of "6 Shows and Episodes That Blew Up the Group Chat in 2022" and wrote, "All of the group chats agreed that each episode brought unexpected drama and an excitement to watch week-to-week that is so treasured when watching TV is legitimately your job." Meanwhile, Entertainment Weekly included the fourth episode "The Ruthless Pursuit of Blood with All a Child's Demanding" in its unranked list of "33 best TV episodes of 2022". Collider included the season finale in its list of "Best TV Episodes of 2022", while TV Insider included the same episode in its list of "25 TV Episodes From 2022 We Can’t Stop Thinking About".

Several critics felt that the season should have been nominated at the Emmy Awards, pointing out it as a snub.