Ready to feel old? Neil Jordan’s Interview with the Vampire, the gothic horror film starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, hit theaters 25 years ago on this day. Based on the 1976 novel by Ann Rice, who also penned the screenplay, Interview with the Vampire was a box office success. The film was nominated for Best Art Direction and Best Original Score at the 1995 Academy Awards. It also marked one of the first lead performances in a movie by Kirsten Dunst, earning her a Golden-Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the age of 12.

The story follows Louis de Pointe du Lac (Pitt), a bicentennial vampire who is interviewed by reporter Daniel Molloy (Christian Slater) in modern day San Francisco. Louis details his tumultuous past of being transformed into a vampire by Lestat de Lioncourt (Cruise) after a family tragedy leaves him hopeless. Together, they raise the young Claudia (Dunst), a girl-turned-vampire who will always physically remain a little girl despite her psychological maturity. Louis and Claudia flee from the violent, bloodthirsty Lestat, but not before Lestat can get his revenge. In the end, Molloy will end up with a decision that is far more than he bargained for.

The moral dilemma of vampires were explored far before Twilight— it was already happening on screen 25 years ago in Interview with the Vampire.

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