There's a moment early in Interview with the Vampire where Louis materializes across the room in a split second, startling the journalist. A goofy sound effect accompanies his swift movement. I've watched this scene countless times. It still tickles me. Yes, I actually giggle every time.

The film wants me to be scared. I find it ridiculous instead. That ridiculousness doesn't diminish the story—it amplifies it. What's absurd is vampirism itself: superhuman gifts negating lived humanity. Louis and Lestat struggle with loneliness, abandonment, self-loathing. The theatrical excess? It makes these emotions impossible to ignore.