The Twilight saga has been resurfacing after almost 10 years. Are the films worth the watch?
As of lately, The Twilight Saga is resurging in popularity nearly 10 years after the release of the final film in the series. If you were unaware, The Twilight Saga was a 4 part book series written by Stephanie Meyer which was then adapted into 5 films, Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn parts 1 and 2. After the original books (and movies), Meyer wrote and released Midnight Sun in 2020, the story of Twilight told from Edward’s perspective instead of Bella’s. With the release of this follow-up book, most likely thanks to Meyer’s pandemic boredom, The Twilight Saga came back into the public eye allowing old fans to relive the fun of obsessing over the series.
Social media allows for fans from all over to connect. This, in addition to an old fandom arising from the early 2010s, led to constant quoting of the characters and memes out the wazoo. The most notable is “Bella, where the hell have you been loca?” a famous line from Jacob in New Moon. Granted, it’s funny. In fact, the whole first movie is practically a 2 hour long shitpost. But they must have done something right. And honestly? I think the rest of the saga, aside from Twilight, held up.
I began rewatching the films sort of as a joke so I could be in on the internet fun. After finishing Twilight, I remembered why it became the butt of the joke in the first place. It’s chock full of tacky dialogue, bizarre-looking special effects, and overly dramatic characterization. I will admit, it was hard for me to get through. In fact, I fell asleep at some point. But with extra free time towards the end of my summer, I figured why not keep watching? After New Moon, I became more invested in the characters and Bella’s relationships with them. This, as well as the inevitable cliffhangers at the end of each film, got me to finish all 5 movies.
If you knew me, you’d know this is strange. I am not a movie person (typically not something you hear from a CTVA major). I have a much greater passion and joy for watching television, so I rarely watch movies let alone 5. But, something about this saga felt like a long-form limited television series. It felt easily digestible. I like entertainment that doesn’t make me read between the lines too much. I love a good foreshadow or maybe a callback, but if I’m using media as entertainment, I don’t want to have to think beyond what is being presented to me.
In all, I think the films are still good. Yes, I used the word good. Twilight being the worst of all of them, but probably the most entertaining due to how bizarre it is, then I’d say New Moon was my favorite, then Breaking Dawn part 1, then part 2, then Eclipse. If I’m honest, I never seem to remember what happens in Eclipse so it must be forgettable and worthy of last place. So I’d recommend anyone to watch the films to relive 2010 and get in on the internet fun.
