It was only a matter of time before the world discovered that Robert Pattinson hates
Twilight. The franchise has been around for over a decade, and after only having
seen the first installment, Pattinson didn’t think highly of it. When asked about
the paranormal romance series during an interview, he called it “pretentious” and
“silly.”

In the vein of Twilight criticism, we will examine what the actor thinks about the
genre and whether he thinks it’s here to stay.

What Is ‘Twilight’ And Why Does It Matter?

If you’ve never heard of Twilight, it’s probably because you haven’t been
exposed to many movies in recent years. More and more people are discovering the
franchise, however, and the movie was even nominated for best picture at this
year’s Academy Awards.

Twilight is a paranormal romance series that revolves around a tribe of
vampire-like creatures living in secrecy in the Pacific Northwest. It follows
Bella Swan, a 17-year-old college student who, after being bitten by a
vampire, is transported back in time to the twilight world. There, she meets the
protagonist, Edward Cullen, a young and handsome vampire who sees her as
something more than human. Together, they form a unique and enduring bond as
Bella learns to navigate her new superhuman abilities and the complexities of
being a partner with a vampire – as well as the responsibilities that come with
being a future queen.

Even if you’ve never read a word of Twilight, you probably know what it is and
what it’s about. It’s a romantic comedy with vampires – how can you not? It’s
been a cultural phenomenon since its inception, spawning a line of merchandise
that continues to grow year after year, and a movie franchise that continues to
make money for its various studios even now, 14 years after the last movie was
released.

While Twilight has been accused of being mindless entertainment,
curious/interested people have been drawn to the strange world of vampires for
years. Perhaps the allure of Edward Cullen – a dashing and mysterious stranger
who appeals to our better nature – makes us root for his personal growth as a
person and a vampire. Over the course of the movie, we see him improve
dramatically, evolving from a cold and calculated killer into a personable and
understanding partner and guardian. The appeal of the character seems to lie in
his complexity, his struggle to define himself in a world that doesn’t always
recognize his true nature. Even the ‘B’ in his last name stands for ‘Bisexual’,
showing how much Edward’s attraction to the opposite sex has progressed in the
series. We want to believe that there is a ‘happy’ ending somewhere in the
vicinity, even if it’s just a matter of time before the movie starts all over
again.

Why Does Pattinson Hate Twilight?

Although Twilight has been a commercial and critical success, the movie
never really found a substantial audience with actors and musicians. While it has
a large and devoted fan base, those who love the franchise don’t necessarily share
Pattinson’s opinion. When he thinks about the movie, he doesn’t seem to be
fond of it, and he hasn’t been quoted as saying much about it. During an
interview in 2013, he simply called it “a silly movie” and “pretentious.”

For an actor who has built his career on thoughtful and complex
characters, it’s odd that he hasn’t been drawn to Twilight. The franchise is
primarily known for simplistic and broad depictions of the vampire genre,
featuring blood-sucking monsters instead of the more traditional and interesting
metaphysical creatures. This certainly isn’t the sort of movie that appeals to
Pattinson’s sensibilities. It would be like asking James Franco if he thought
The Breakfast Club was a meaningful or important movie, and then
confessing that he actually thinks it’s quite the opposite.

What Is Edward’s Perception Of ‘Twilight’?

If you’re unfamiliar, Stephenie Meyer, the author of the original book on which
the film franchise is based, wrote a foreword for the 2014 edition of the
Twilight companion novelization in which she clarifies Edward’s
characteristics and mentality. In it, she explains that while Edward may appear
to be an affectionate and loyal partner to Bella, he actually feels very conflicted
about their relationship. He believes that she holds a special place in his
heart, but that their union as a couple is wrong because she’s not completely
undone. He also claims that he never fully trusts her, suspecting that she will
one day turn on him.

He has good reason to feel this way. At the end of the foreword, Meyer
introduces a character named Victoria, explaining that she is an aspect of
Bella’s personality that emerges when she’s around Edward. As you may have
guessed, this is an allusion to The Hunger Games – when Victoriella is
first introduced, she tells us that she is a “part” of Quenby,
Peeta’s “partner” in the “hunger games”. Quenby is a character from the books
who was originally an aspect of Peeta’s personality, but became a character in
her own right as a result of the volume of books in which she appears. The same
can be said of Victoria, who features prominently in the companion novels
but who isn’t actually present in Meyer’s original story. Like many
paranormal-themed stories, Twilight explores the subject of
transformation and whether or not the people we encounter in life are the
exact same as those we encounter on the screen. Can someone who slays monsters
become the person they were born to be? Can someone who seemed perfect on the
surface become a monster underneath? Is it even possible to change? What is
real and what is an act? What happens when the line between the two is
blurred?

Other Popular Vampires

While it’s true that Edward is the charismatic protagonist of the Twilight
franchise, other vampires have also drawn significant attention and inspired
literary treatments. In addition to the four main characters, the following
vampires have appeared in the Twilight universe:

  • Eveil (from the vampire novella Breaking Dawn)
  • Vampire Bill (from the short story “Bites” by Joyce Carol Oates)
  • La Belle (from the animated series The Vampire Diaries)
  • Sasha (from the short story “The Letter” by Megan Abbott)

Why Is The Fantasy Of Vampires Still Popular?

If you had to pick one word to describe the appeal of vampires to
modern audiences, it would be ‘transformation’. Many people are fascinated by the
idea of becoming something other than what they appear to be. Countless
psychological studies have been devoted to exploring the ways in which
representations of monsters can still speak to us. Even those who love monsters
and violent thrillers can find something mesmerizing about the idea of
transformation. Vampires embody this concept perfectly, and it’s no wonder why
they’ve continuously been popular as a subject matter for Hollywood. Vampires can
appeal to our baser needs and our innate desires to explore the darker
aspects of life. They can even provide us with some much-needed catharsis,
reliving the traumas of life in an escape from reality. When we encounter
monsters in today’s world, we often feel a sense of apprehension and curiosity.

It’s been more than 15 years since the release of the first Twilight movie, and
the vampire genre is still going strong – which is remarkable, especially when you
consider how quickly fads come and go in today’s world. The series inspired a
Vampire Weekend album and a line of tees that continues to be popular and
influential even today. It’s even been argued that Twilight is responsible for
the contemporary ‘punk’-ish influence in today’s music scene.