I don’t know about you, but my adolescence was full of vampires, werewolves, and creatures in between. Like a lot of tweens between 2008 to 2012, I had an obsession with The Twilight Saga. I read every line from Stephanie Meyer’s novels and waited patiently each year for new movies to release, and of course, I’d be there on opening night. I can’t remember exactly when this “Team Edward” phase of my life ended. Maybe it never did, because for Hallo-weekend this year, I decided to watch all five movies. Looking back, I didn’t realize how equally problematic and brilliant The Twilight Saga is. It’s only now, at twenty years old, that I can view these movies objectively.
First of all, Bella is quite the annoying protagonist. Some of her choices, especially in New Moon, were very questionable, like when she became an adrenaline junkie just to keep seeing visions of Edward. I honestly felt bad for her friends at school, who kept having to deal with her coming in and out of their lives. Bella didn’t know how to properly balance her time between vampires, werewolves, and actual human beings, failing to realize that they’ve been nothing but welcoming towards her since her very first day in Forks. I can go on and on about how she was probably the least interesting or likable character in the whole series, but I actually wouldn’t have things any other way. The way Stephanie Meyer wrote Bella’s character was so non-specific that any teenage girl could put herself in Bella’s shoes. I know that tactic definitely worked for me, whether that was her intention for readers or not.
So, I already mentioned I was hands-down “Team Edward” during that whole phase, but as I watched the movies over again, Edward wasn’t as likable as I remember him to be when I was ten. He was a little too controlling over Bella, especially when she was still human. Although he probably meant well, his “acts of selflessness” like leaving Bella in New Moon so that she doesn’t get hurt and then almost killing himself in Italy made things a lot worse for them as a couple. I guess that’s questionably an aspect of effective plot development. Also, as a twenty-year-old female, having a centenarian vampire watch me in my sleep would definitely register more as a red flag rather than a “cute” and “protective” gesture. Maybe that’s why Robert Pattinson seems to hate Twilight more than anyone else.
Okay, enough of the criticism. I obviously enjoyed the movies if I sat through all five of them. What pulled me in this time around wasn’t because I wanted to be Bella, but because of the memories that these movies evoke. Watching them made me feel nostalgic for a much simpler time when all I hoped for were equally attractive supernatural creatures to miraculously fall in love with me, and my only problem in life would be to choose between them. By the way, I still would love to visit Forks and explore the beauty of Washington, thanks to the many amazing scenic shots of forests and mountains featured in the films.
All five of the movies also had phenomenal soundtracks. I think everyone would enjoy these underrated soundtracks if we all get past the association with Twilight. For example, “Roslyn” by Bon Iver featured in the New Moon soundtrack is one of the best songs ever made for the series, and arguably one of the best tracks in his entire discography. “Roslyn” delivers the perfect fall/winter/cozy feeling we long for during the colder months, so now is the perfect time to check that out if you haven’t before!
Overall, The Twilight Saga is still very enjoyable. It might not be the most intellectually challenging or even well-written series (at least screenplay-wise… I can’t say anything about for the books; I just remember them being an easy read), but it is entertaining enough for those moments you just want to escape from your stresses for a little while.