And so the lion fell in love with the lamb … and all these movies.
If you already know the lion fell in love with the lamb, then it’s time to switch it up and try one of these movies like Twilight. Let’s tuck away our Twilight DVDs in favor of something new, yes? The 2008 film starring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart — let’s be really clear — is one of those movies that’s so bad that it’s amazing. A true work of art. Full of supernatural creatures like vampires and werewolves, Twilight, based on the book of the same name by Stephenie Meyer, became an absolute phenomenon in the early aughts and spawned more films to fill out the franchise.
The films played host to numerous well-known actors, including Dakota Fanning, Bryce Dallas Howard, and even Rami Malek, so it couldn’t have been too bad of a movie series, right? Well, while the whole series was enjoyable, the rest of the movies didn’t quite stack up to the delightfully campy Twilight. It’s the ultimate quotable film with so many good bits, which is why we keep coming back to it again and again. Alas, if you want a new movie that feels like Twilight — replete with sexual tension, magic, and forbidden love — without actually being Twilight, try one of these alternatives.
1. Fifty Shades of Gray (2015)
We, of course, have to start here. Any Twilight fan worth their salt knows that Fifty Shades of Gray was born out of Twilight. The sexy movie starring Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan began as Twilight fan fiction and literotica. If you aren’t familiar with fan fiction, it’s what fans of an existing project write on the internet. So EL James, the author of Fifty Shades of Gray, took the characters of Bella and Edward that Stephenie Meyer created, and put them into a new world and story she created (originally called Master of the Universe). After gaining attention on the internet, James published the story under the name Fifty Shades of Gray and changed all the character names to be original. So if you get Bella and Edward vibes from Christian Gray and Anastasia Steele, there’s a reason. As for the story, it’s a steamy love story about a good girl falling for a bad boy, you know how it goes.
2. Tuck Everlasting (2002)
If you’re looking for something in the fairy-tale realm, Tuck Everlasting is a love story about a girl who falls in love with a boy, only to find out his family is immortal. Although you won’t necessarily find vampires here, you will find those beings who live forever (just like the Twilight vampires who are frozen in time). When it comes down to it, Winnie (Alexis Bledel) has to decide if she wants to live a human life or an immortal one (Bella Swan, anyone?).
3. Meet Joe Black (1998)
Brad Pitt stars as the titular character in this film. Well, he actually stars as a paranormal character: death. Pitt comes to Earth to learn about human life and love from his guide, William Parrish (Anthony Hopkins). Pitt’s character is quirky, funny, and not at all like Edward Cullen, but he does develop feelings for someone he shouldn’t, aka his guide’s daughter (played by Claire Forlani). It’s a lighter take on a supernatural romance, just with fewer vampires than Twilight.
4. Warm Bodies (2013)
Trade the vampires for zombies and Warm Bodies is very similar to Twilight. R (Nicholas Hoult) is a bona fide zombie. Trouble starts when he falls in love with someone he shouldn’t — a living breathing human (Teresa Palmer). Does this ring a bell? He saves her (not all zombies just want to eat brains, OK?), and the two ride off happily into the sunset. Well, it’s not really that peachy, but they do form an unlikely relationship despite how different they are, and it’s actually pretty sweet.
5. Romeo + Juliet (1996)
In what is absolutely the best retelling of William Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy, Romeo + Juliet depicts the ultimate story of forbidden love. A young Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes play star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet in a very modern take on the story. At its root, though, is the tragic tale we all know. While Romeo and Juliet’s ending isn’t nearly as happy as Bella and Edward’s, this film will give you the same vibes of their forbidden love story.
6. Beautiful Creatures (2013)
This teen romance takes on another magical subject matter: witches. It all starts when Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich) starts dreaming about a mysterious girl who then ends up in his sleepy town. Lena (Alice Englert) is largely shunned by her peers for being different, but Ethan knows there’s something about her that he can’t stay away from. And then he finds out she’s a witch trying to escape the dark side. Will she make it? Will Ethan help? Will they make it to graduation?!
