Why is Twilight Still Remembered?

"You'd better hold on tight, spider monkey."

#twilight #teamedward #meeptop

description tags: Twilight (2008), New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, 14th anniversary, video essay, analysis, review, retrospective, explained, nostalgia, worth remembering, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Stephanie Meyer

[AstroBaby]

The small town, the supernatural, the cozy vibes, the amazing music, the forbidden romances. It's all there.

[juliehenriksen]

My favorit thing about Twilight was the fact that Bella, despite being the "not like other girls" girl, never looked down at her peers. She was friends with the popular and nerdy girl and she always supported them (best shown in movie one). And despite her literal dependency towards Edward (and their not so heathy relationship), she's actually pretty capable herself, she punches Jacob when he kisses her, she sets boundaries and she does what she feels is right, despite what her dad, Edward and Jacob deems the best for her. Also can we talk about Charlie? Best dad ever. Would love a movie just about him tbh.

[adrienneclarke]

I am 56. Twilight is my once a year read. It is typical teenage angst. Feeling the desperate need for love and to be special. I can remember feeling this way.

[Leisloth]

Nice job! As a former teenage girl myself (I was maybe thirteen or fourteen when I read the books) I think your take is spot on. I enjoyed the books so much at that time, it felt like a "grown up" version (yes I see the irony) of other fantasy novels like Harry Potter. This duality of desire and repression, a mysterious """"boy"""" hardly being able to constrain himself and a clumsy, shy girl - that resonated very well with angsty, awkward, horny teenage me at that time

[DKenway]

It genuinely pains me to see a content creator clealy put so much time and effort and not have the views reflect that. Here's a like and comment for the algorithm.

[lisaw.]

Don't forget being a teen means feeling lost in the world- you're no longer helped like a kid but at the same time still aren't an adult and there are more expectations. I think it's the time people are the most lonely. Edward really played into the role of protecting and being there for Bella. And Bella was really allowed to feel sad and angsty around him- she didn't have to play a role with him and pretend to be happy or fun etc. In this way Edward was unconditional and reliable like no other teen romance male lead was- at least in my view.

[kimmie__kim]

God, I love Twilight so much, always have. I’m reading “Midnight Sun” now and I didn’t know I needed it, his perspective is so strange 😂

[flopatron]

twilight was formative bc i was around 10 during the movie premiers and me and my mom and all my aunts and female cousins would go and wait in line in the freezing cold bc it was something that was clearly made for women and it became sort of communal. and the tradition of going to the premiers felt like an opportunity to bond with a bunch of girls and women. the fandom was incredibly messy and toxic, the writing is terrible, the direction was awful, but it was ourssss!

[SIGSEGV]

"A lightly horror influence romance book or movie with thematic and metaphorical representations of tension and repression written by a woman targetted to teens"
In a sense you could say Twilight eclipsed Wuthering Heights, which is pretty much what you've just described

[saravictoria]

I saw another analysis that referred to Edward as a “safe” person to be attracted to and I think that is where a lot of the draw came from. Set aside the more toxic elements of their relationship- 😬 - Edward was protective, didn’t pressure her into anything, tried to dissuade her from things she wasn’t ready for (… which I guess does play into puritan culture at times). But I think at 13, those qualities can make understanding attraction a bit less scary and a bit more comprehensible. I can definitely see how this film could be an outlet for those very new and complex feelings. So yeah, I think you got it exactly right :)

[celeritas-]

The body horror of pregnancy was also really well handled. Only Mark Kermode really addressed that at the time.

[abbievideos]

This is such a good analysis. I never made the connection that the overall story can symbolize repression and giving into feelings after being taught that they are inherently wrong. That's genius, and the book cover strongly supports the theme

[Angel_Auraa]

If I had to take a guess: It has its own identity. People can spoof it without naming it and people will immediately know it’s Twilight. And of course, it has a cult following. Making it a cult movie. Those movies aren’t forgotten.

Plus unique visual appeal. (That gets more muddled as the series goes on, but is there regardless.) Sort of like how Tom Burton has his own aesthetic. Twilight also has its own aesthetic. Gloomy, pale, nostalgic.

[Felix-qtql]

Because I am unconditionally, and irrevocably in love with it

[rebeccalaff]

There's definitely something to twilight. I couldn't stand it, personally, but i respect it. what it does nail perfectly is tween/teen girl burgeoning sexuality. It is a combination of desire and fear but wrapped up in something safe that won't actually hurt you, like the bad boy whos dangerous buy who exists only to save you. He wants you but he'll never force you...or maybe he's older and more experienced but he'll be patient and gentle with you and wait until you're ready, the horror element adds the edge of fear needed to really sell it. But if you create something that speaks to that specific kind of sexuality then it doesn't matter what the genre, it will be a hit amongst teens and horned up lonely housewives.

[duckie]

I've always held twillight in a weird place in my heart, as a child I loved it then as a teen hated it with passion but now as a teen-adult I see it as a nostalgic, funny and bizarre piece of media we keep coming back to

[lollybirdy]

Its great to watch on rainy days and the soundtrack is good.

[iasminaraujo]

It was so great to imagine that all the suffering suppressing causes would pay off. That there was something noble and beautiful on that.

[agreeableWitch]

One of the things that my sister and I find so deeply fulfilling about Twilight, even now, is that Bella is a person. She doesn't pose prettily when she's alone in her room. She wears baggy, comfy clothes. She wants people to like her and she's nervous they won't, but she also doesn't like attention. She likes her girl friends and spending time with them. She says silly things and sometimes she trips or accidentally closes the car door on somebody. You got it, dude; this is the only movie I've ever seen where a girl gets to be a person in imperfect and uncomfortable reality. And that's not even getting into the later movies where she has to convince Edward that she enjoys rough sex, and later she has an uncomfortable and raw pregnancy. Bella Swan is a realistic woman, and it's such a relief.

[Themoonischeese-umqj]

Dude the way you talked about this had me tearing up at the end. Thank you so much for sharing!