The story follows Bella Swan, a girl who moves to Forks, Washington and falls in love with a vampire named Edward Cullen. The relatively simple premise became instantly successful with the YA demographic, spawning four main and three spin-off novels. Along with this came the film series, which has earned its place as a modern-day cult classic. The awful dialogue and cringe-worthy performances have made the Twilight Saga infamous on platforms like TikTok. So for all of the fans, here are some films that have elements from “Twilight” that fans would enjoy.
Let The Right One In
MPAA: R
Often ranked among one of the best vampire films of all time, “Let The Right One In” is a beautiful and tender film. It revolves around 12-year-old Oskar, an outcast who is severely bullied at school and befriends a girl named Eli. Unbeknownst to him, Eli is a vampire with a murderous taste for blood.
Director Tomas Alfredson invites the viewer into the gloomy city of Stockholm. In the winter, Stockholm will have days with no light. Alfredson cleverly uses the setting to create unease within the viewer as they do not know what time of day events in the film are occurring. This use of setting also leads to outstanding camera work in scenes involving the snow.
The story focuses on the characters and their growth rather than the violence around them. This allows for meaningful storytelling that will resonate with a wider audience.
At the heart of the film is the relationship between Oskar and Eli. Kare Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson bring a natural vulnerability to their characters, making their bond all the more believable.
Overall, “Let The Right One In” is a surprisingly realistic and meaningful take on a vampire film.
Warm Bodies
MPAA: PG-13
During the 2010s, there was a sudden book to movie adaptation craze started by the release of “The Hunger Games” in 2012. This era left audiences with both modern-day classics and films audiences would rather forget, but “Warm Bodies” was thankfully one of the good ones.
The film follows the romance between zombie R and human Julie, which causes R to start regaining his human form. Despite the absurd premise, “Warm Bodies” manages to be a unique addition to the forbidden romance genre. Director Jonathan Levine uses the ridiculous premise to its fullest extent. He uses dark comedy to mock romance tropes, particularly “Romeo and Juliet.” However, Levine uses these moments of mockery to create genuine moments of romantic tension that allow the audience to believe in the stakes behind the relationship between R and Julie.
Overall, “Warm Bodies” is a fun romance that spins a well-known trope into something unique and memorable.
The Lost Boys
MPAA: R
While “The Lost Boys” may seem like an odd recommendation considering Twilight is a romance film and “The Lost Boys” is not, the film has all the necessary details essential to Twilight fans.
When brothers Micheal and Sam move to a town in northern California, they have an encounter with a pack of vampires that leads them to have to defend themselves from a larger supernatural threat.
The film does not take itself seriously for one second which is a big risk for a film to take. The film can either feel stupid and treat the audience like they are children, or the lack of seriousness can lead to the film feeling unfinished and lazy; “The Lost Boys” has neither of these problems. Director Joel Schumacher leans fully into the nonsensical, which allows for comedic moments to land.
Overall, “The Lost Boys” is a classic 80s film that channels what the “Twilight” fans need.
Beastly
MPAA: PG-13
In 2007, a year before the first “Twilight” film was released, Alex Flinn released her novel “Beastly.” A modern retelling of “Beauty and The Beast,”the story follows a rich high school student, Kyle Kingson, who is magically transformed into a beast as punishment for his shallowness. In 2011, the novel was adapted into a film starring 2010s heartthrob Alex Pettyfer and “High School Musical” star Vanessa Hudgens.
The film contains many of the conventions of a bad teen movie, including dialogue that does not mirror real human conversation. Additionally, the film contains atrocious performances, particularly from Alex Pettyfer, whose performance resembles a poorly acted community theater performance rather than a genuine effort. These factors allow for comedy that was not intended but still lands better than moments of seriousness in this story.
The story has aged so badly that most of the events do not make sense. This mostly has to relate to Kyle’s appearance. In the current day, tattoos and scars are considered by many to be an attractive feature, but in the movie they are what makes him a beast. There could be an argument that “Beastly” was ahead of its time due to this factor, but the execution cannot be used as evidence for this claim.
Overall, “Beastly” is an unintentional comedy that is perfect for sleepovers.
