Most of us have probably heard of the Twilight series, and many of us have most likely at least seen one of the films. If you’re unfamiliar, the franchise is centered on the relationships between five young people who become best friends then develop romantic feelings for one another. Although the films were extremely popular, they were also extremely polarizing. While some people loved the stories, the acting, and the quirkiness of the source material, others were turned off by it. One of these films in particular is Never Think, which follows Rob Pattinson as he searches for love away from Twilight in Budapest. The movie is based on the debut novel of the same name by Luke Huxham.
Plot Summary
The story opens with young Robert Pattinson looking for love away from the cameras and the glitz of Hollywood. After arriving in Budapest, he connects with a gorgeous woman named Drea at a bar. Unbeknownst to him, she is a professional matchmaker, and she sets him up on a date with her client, Natalia. The two initially hit it off, but Natalia soon reveals that she is actually a wealthy entrepreneur who is dating Rob to gain leverage in a business deal. She drops him like a hot potato after he discovers her true colors, and the tables turn as Robert is forced to play Cupid, delivering heartbreaking one-liners and broken hearted sighs to the women he loves. He eventually redeems himself by helping Drea navigate her way through Budapest’s colorful underworld and dangerous city streets.
Love Interest
Although Never Think is a romantic comedy, it is far from being a traditional rom-com. The film is actually based on Luke Huxham’s 2015 novel of the same name. In the book, Robert only has eyes for Drea and is not particularly interested in other women. In the film, he is presented with several other options and is given the opportunity to choose from several beautiful girls. We won’t spoil the ending for you, but the way things turn out, it’s clear that Robert has learned a lot from his time in Budapest. He ends up choosing Natalia, but it’s fair to say that he doesn’t end up choosing love either.
Underworld
Luke Huxham bases his novel on true events, and his research for NeverThink involved extensive trips to Hungary. One of the major draws of the film is its accurate recreation of Budapest’s dark and dangerous Underworld. We get to see the gritty reality of life in Budapest as opposed to the highly edited sanitized world of the movies. The city is gorgeous, but it’s also incredibly grimy, and this grittiness is accentuated by the use of wide-angle lenses and evocative lighting. Since the main characters are teens, we get to see an all-too-real representation of the dangerous world that they are struggling to navigate.
Comic Relief
In addition to recreating Budapest’s underworld, NeverThink also includes cameos from some of the city’s most famous faces. The most prominent of these are Bela Lugosi, the famous Hungarian actor and the inspiration for Dracula, and Sándor Petöfi, the author of the famous children’s book, Puszta Virginius. These cameos were mostly for comedic relief, as the writers and directors had other things in mind when they wrote and directed this quirky romantic comedy. The book was first published in 1975, and there are currently no plans to bring the story to the big screen. There is already one film adaptation of Petöfi’s Virginius, which was released in 2014 and starred Antonio Banderas as the titular character.
So what do you think? Are you a fan of the Twilight series and all of its adaptations? Have you ever read one of Luke Huxham’s novels? If so, what do you think about Never Think? Let us know in the comments below!