The Twilight Saga was beloved by many and derided by others when it initially came out. This little romance between a human and a vampire became a genuine cultural juggernaut, despite the fact that critics consistently panned the books and the films that followed them. However, hindsight is 20/20.
Twilight will never be Citizen Kane, but it’s influence on pop culture and the popularity of vampire fiction is undeniable. And while there are some aspects of the films that didn’t age well, there are some elements that surprisingly did. Here are 10 things in The Twilight Saga that actually did age well.
It’s Age Appropriate
Although a lot of people criticize The Twilight Saga for being extraordinarily chaste in this day and age, it’s actually nice to see a franchise aimed at teenagers that is reflective of more than one teenage experience.
Bella and Edward are unusual, but they’re still teenagers (at least Edward sort of is), so the level of intimacy that they experience and feel comfortable with is pretty normal for their age, and it’s nice to see a loving relationship that is built on more than just the physical.
It Has A Killer Soundtrack
Trends in music can come and go faster than anyone would think possible, but one way in which Twilight singled itself out from the rest is that it’s soundtrack was good enough that it still holds up now, a decade later.
Author Stephenie Meyer actually explained that some of the most prominently featured artists in the movie soundtrack inspired her while she was writing, so the blend between the tunes and movies is downright seamless.
It Has A Great Cast
A lot of the older (relatively speaking of course) actors in the Twilight cast were already pretty accomplished by the time that they started the series, and their talents were already on wide display for the world.
However a lot of the younger cast members were newcomers, and while the leading actors like Kristen and Robert went on to do a lot of amazing work, some of the supporting cast like Anna Kendrick and Christian Serratos went on to do some big projects that showed off their serious chops too.
It’s Not Gritty
Movies and television obviously have trends, and Twilight was really a big trendsetter in it’s time. It was so popular in fact, that a lot of the movies that followed it were reactionary against it.
The style du jour for most movies and TV is to make things as dark and gritty as possible, and at this point that style feels played out. In retrospect, the fluffiness and lightness of Twilight almost makes it more appealing now than it was then.
It’s Unlike Any Other Vampire Story
One of the fairer criticisms of The Twilight Saga is that it’s not a very vampy vampire movie. Theoretically the Cullens are vampires, but they don’t share very much in common with traditional vampire lore, and the story is definitely not a traditional vampire story.
So people who were fans of traditional gothic horror were definitely disappointed in Twilight, but the fact that the story was so far outside of the norm has allowed it to distinguish itself from the pack of vampire stories that are constantly being told in media.
It’s Shamelessly Girly
Stereotypical femininity isn’t something that is very welcomed or appreciated in mainstream media. There are understandable reasons for the push against it in some instances, but a lot of it boils down to femininity being looked down upon.
So then, Twilight is actually pretty extraordinary in the sense that it’s a story from a very stereotypically feminine point of view, and it’s not ashamed to be just that. It’s rare to see a story that is just straightforwardly and unabashedly girly.
It’s Shamelessly Campy
There are times where Twilight takes itself pretty seriously, and then there are times where it really, really does not. Twilight is a silly story that doesn’t really pretend to be anything else, and when things veer into campiness the films absolutely lean into that aspect of it as well.
Watching actors like Michael Sheen and Jamie Campbell Bower chew the scenery like a koala bear trying to eat solid iron is enough to entertain anyone, even if they’re a Twilight hater.
It Doesn’t Look Down On It’s Audience
Anything that is enjoyed by teenage girls is typically derided by anyone else, and that’s a pretty unfair stigma that seems to universally apply to almost anything. In most forms of media, a teenage female audience isn’t something that anyone particularly wants, and often times the consumers of this media are looked down on by those who are creating it.
But the same can’t be said for Twilight. It isn’t just a story that is written for teenage girls, it’s one that treats them with a seriousness and maturity that most other movies don’t.
It’s Pretty Diverse
A few years ago this wasn’t the case, but the current state of mainstream media is all about inclusivity. It definitely should be, and it’s high time that more perspectives and people were getting representation in feature films. And clearly, Twilight wasn’t a series that was designed around the idea of being inclusive.
However, it actually is pretty inclusive. The diversity of the cast and it’s characters is better than what we see in some film and television today, and they’re not token characters either.
It Represents Native Americans More Than Any Major Franchise In History
Representation in media has become a real hot button topic in contemporary society, and Native Americans are still drastically underrepresented despite the push for more representation and inclusion in general.
So then, The Twilight Saga really stands out in the sense that a huge proportion of it’s cast is Native American, both in the story itself and in real life. Their culture is also a significant aspect of the overall story, which is unusual in any film, let alone one this mainstream.
