A vampire tells the tale of his life filled with love, betrayal, loneliness and the hunger for blood. After losing his wife and his will to live, Louis (Pitt) meets a vampire, Lestat (Cruise), who offers him another life to live. Louis accepts and becomes a vampire.

The two live together for centuries as Louis learns the ways of the vampire. He meets other vampires, and even turns a small girl (Dunst) into a vampire.