Twilight

UK Release: 19th December 2008

Watched on Live TV: Saturday 14th July 2012

Rating: 12A

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Runtime: 2hrs 2mins

Tagline: When you can live forever what do you live for?

IMDb Plot Synopsis: Bella Swan has always been a little bit different. Never one to run with the crowd, Bella never cared about fitting in with the trendy, plastic girls at her Phoenix, Arizona high school. When her mother remarried and Bella chooses to live with her father in the rainy little town of Forks, Washington, she didn't expect much of anything to change. But things do change when she meets the mysterious and dazzlingly beautiful Edward Cullen. For Edward is nothing like any boy she's ever met. He's nothing like anyone she's ever met, period. He's intelligent and witty, and he seems to see straight into her soul. In no time at all, they are swept up in a passionate and decidedly unorthodox romance - unorthodox because Edward really isn't like the other boys. He can run faster than a mountain lion. He can stop a moving car with his bare hands. Oh, and he hasn't aged since 1918...

My Review: It was the film that defined a generation and changed the reputation of vampires forever. It’s also one of the highest grossing movie franchises of all time. There’s just something about Twilight that, while predominantly attracting females, is more than just the romance. There’s plenty of dark stuff (usually associated with vampires!) and action too - especially in the sequels. What sets the first film apart is the lack of expectations connected with it which can be visibly seen compared to New Moon for example. It didn’t have that Hollywood gloss. It had darker tones and had a more art-house feel to it, but still with a simple yet effective plot that managed to grab the millions of the fans. 

That quietness, the slow awkwardness, between Bella and Edward, it’s very raw and honest and you can see their chemistry from the get go. The blue tones and the constant presence of the murky forests sets the tone for something more mysterious and ominous and the tension is brilliant. 

I think the atmosphere can be credited quite a lot to the soundtrack which is one of the best of recent years. It’s haunting and yet the songs are very contemporary - twisting the Vampire connotations just as the source material does. It isn’t in a rush either. There are many pauses where we’re allowed to indulge in the story, allowing the material to breathe to which is lacking in the later films. 

In my eyes Twilight is far superior to the rest of the franchise and if you’re gonna watch any of them - it’s got to be this one.

Score: 9/10