The Twilight saga is an incredibly popular supernatural fantasy drama, narrating the love story between the vampire Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, a human in love with Edward. Everybody has heard of it, and everybody (it sometimes seems) hates it… even though it was a massive success.
The movies (based on a series of novels by Stephenie Meyer) might have been commercial hits but they weren’t necessarily a favorite with critics. But as it turns out, fans have also expressed themselves vividly through various not-so-popular opinions on Reddit, some of them even unabashedly loving the series.
Twilight Never Claimed To Be More
One fan has pointed out amidst all the hate that Twilight commonly gets, that the series was never meant to be high-brow fiction in the first place, so it didn’t necessarily deserve the kind of trashing it draws and continues to draw.
This Redditor has a reasonable approach, stating that there is high fiction and then there is pulp fiction, and the vampire drama clearly falls within the second category – never claiming to be anything more – and should be treated as such.
A Guilty Pleasure
More than one fan on Reddit has mentioned that the movies offer some guilty pleasure and that it’s even possible to rewatch them to get a different perspective. After all, they are meant to be popular fiction and there is no harm in enjoying them once in a while.
Another fan has a similar point of view, arguing that the movies basically constitute cheesy teen romance, in which case it is by no means the only one of its kind, thus not really justifying the entire anti-Twilight phenomenon.
Bella Is Relatable & Subtle
There is a common grievance among viewers that the character of Bella Swan is bland and lacks personality. But there are some others who seem to go against that popular opinion and feel that Bella is actually quite relatable and appreciate her soft, subtle characterization.
In fact, more than one Redditor find that Bella’s introverted, shy nature and the social awkwardness she faces when she lands up in a small town for the first time are perfectly realistic, reminiscent of the actual lived experience of many in similar circumstances.
Jasper’s Character Was Better In The Books
Getting down to cast and characterization, Jasper was part of the Cullen family and was introduced in the very first movie, Twilight, as the gang’s newest vegetarian.
Fans feel that the character differed from that in the books, where Jasper was portrayed more empathetically with greater gravity, whereas in the movies he was simply shown to be cold–and unstable, volatile force that could attack Bella at any moment.
Nice Guys Finish Last
There are also those out there that still give Jacob Black, another widely hated character from the Twilight saga, the benefit of the doubt.
For instance, this one Redditor offers a logical perspective into Jacob’s ‘nice guy’ persona that is the source of major controversy among readers and viewers alike. While many feel that Jacob’s character is overhyped and that he showed particularly toxic traits such as stalking, the Redditor feels that it was his life, the wolf that lives in him that changed him, driving him to do things he mightn’t have done otherwise.
The Icky Imprinting
Speaking of Jacob, he had imprinted on Bella’s daughter Renesmee after clearly being drawn to Bella herself for a good while. Now, although the werewolf’s imprint could have meant that he would always be her guardian, keeping her safe from harm’s way, it could also mean that he would end up her partner.
A lot of fans find this concept disturbing not only because Jacob imprinted on a newborn but also because he decided that he was ready to be with Renesmee even though he had harbored feelings for her mother before this.
Jacob’s Sexualization
There seems to be another feeling among some fans on Reddit that the sexualization of Jacob was discomfiting to many.
Jacob, who started out as a naive, sweet kid with a crush on Bella suddenly transformed into a sexualized individual, emotionally aggressive and volatile. The idea of Jacob maturing sexually so fast, in love with the daughter of the woman he loved before, seems to have made some fans uncomfortable.
Cullen: The Archetypal Hero
All the main characters in Twilight have received a fair amount of flak for glorifying abusive relationships, or obsessive, creepy traits. Edward Cullen, the role Pattinson played, is berated for being particularly toxic, crossing the boundaries in his relationship with Bella that should have been respected.
However, contrary to that, an unpopular opinion suggests that Edward is the stereotypical hero of romance novels–mysterious, great looking, and devoted with a dangerous streak in him that makes him all the more fascinating, especially for women. It might not be ideal, but it is a widely used trope nonetheless, which means Edward isn’t the only popular hero to be the way he is.
Pattinson: A Block Of Wood
Robert Pattinson is an accomplished actor, but according to some fans, it wasn’t just his character that was controversial in the movies. They feel that an actor like Pattinson – who has gone on to perform well in critically acclaimed movies – wasn’t in his element during the Twilight series.
One fan even goes as far as to say that Pattinson looked like a block of wood for the entirety of the series except for in The Twilight Saga–Breaking Dawn, when he became slightly more animated.
Twilight Is Hilarious In Every Way
While there are those who divert from the mainstream opinions on the series, there are those that are bold enough to state that the Twilight saga is so bad it borders on hilarious.
From awkward dialogues to boring plots to atrocious sound mixing, the movies were apparently unintentionally funny, which in turn actually made them quite enjoyable because of their sheer ridiculousness.
