The tumultuous love story between Bella Swann and Edward Cullen dominates the pop culture landscape throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s. Played by future Oscar-nominee Kristen Stewart and future Batman Robert Pattinson, Bella and Edward mesmerized audiences worldwide as the protagonists of the much-maligned but simply irresistible Twilight Saga.
‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1’ (2011)
Director: Bill Condon
It’s absolutely impossible to believe the man who directed Gods and Monsters is behind The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1, and yet, it’s true. The film sees Bella and Edward finally getting married and going on their honeymoon to Rio de Janeiro. However, things change when Bella becomes pregnant with a vampire baby, putting her life at risk.
Breaking Dawn – Part 1 has little to no redeemable qualities. Not only is the plot nonsensical, but it’s also slow to the point of being comatose. Bella’s pregnancy is just not interesting, despite some impressive acting from Kristen Stewart. The film spends long stretches of time doing nothing, making for a rather dull viewing experience. The infamous birthing scene is the film’s only glimpse of bravado, and even then, it’s not shocking enough to stand out. The choice to split the final book in half was terrible, resulting in a first film that seems to exist just to prolong the franchise’s success. Overall, Breaking Dawn – Part 1 is simply boring, tedious, and unintentionally funny, qualities that are never good for a movie.
‘The Twilight Saga: Eclipse’ (2010)
Director: David Slade
Following Edward’s return to Forks, he and Bella rekindle their relationship. A jealous Jacob insists that Bella loves him, and his stubborn claims might not be entirely unfounded. Meanwhile, the vicious Victoria is assembling an army of newborn vampires to take her long-awaited revenge on Edward and Bella for the murder of her lover, James.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse has more action than its predecessors, but it all amounts to nothing. The final battle against the newborns is clumsily staged and lacks any sense of excitement. Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World) does her best to make Victoria a worthy villain, but her performance is notoriously less menacing and magnetic than Rachelle Levefre’s. To make matters worse, everything that prior happens to the battle is lethargic and frustrating, with the Bella-Edward-Jacob terrible love triangle growing old extremely fast. Eclipse is ultimately bloated yet still boring, an ironic mix that added further fuel to those who mentioned the franchise was among the worst in the new millennium.
”The Twilight Saga: New Moon’ (2009)
Director: Chris Weitz
Following the unexpected success of 2008’s Twilight, fans flooded movie theaters to watch the next chapter in Bella’s story. The Twilight Saga: New Moon sees Bella suffer an attack during her birthday celebration at the Cullens’. Fearing for her safety, Edward leaves, sending her into a deep depression and bringing her closer to her old friend, Jacob.
‘Twilight’ (2008)
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
2008’s Twilight introduced viewers to the stoic and near-inexpressive romance of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. The plot sees Bella arriving at the cold and perpetually cloudy town of Forks, Washington, where she quickly forms a connection with the mysterious and handsome Edward Cullen. Soon, she realizes Edward is hiding a dangerous secret: he’s really a vampire.
Twilight’s impact on pop culture cannot be overstated. The film defined an entire generation, capturing the subversive, if not necessarily disruptive, emo spirit of the mid-2000s and giving teenagers worldwide something to obsess about. Twilight is a visually distinctive effort from director Catherine Hardwick advantagee (Thirteen), taking of its small-scale story to deliver a surprisingly ambitious take on the teen fantasy romance that effectively revived the then-dying genre. It turned Stewart and Pattinson into bonafide modern icons, launched a thousand copycats and a much-discussed franchise and became the only film series able to compete with the other generation-defining phenomenon of the 2010s, Harry Potter. Today, Twilight remains singular and quite rewatchable, thanks to its mesmerizing central performances, hypnotic score, and the unintentional silence of the whole thing.
‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1’ (2011)
Director: Bill Condon
Following the birth of her daughter, Renesmee, and her own rebirth as a vampire, Bella begins getting used to her new life alongside the Cullens. However, danger lurks when the Volturi mistakenly believed Renesmee is an immortal child and threatens to attack. The Cullens rally their allies from around the world to make one last stand against the Volturi.
