This year, Lionsgate has done us a solid and re-released the Twilight Saga in the cinemas, and I being a former major Twihard (Idk why we called ourselves that, who came up with that??) absolutely had to go. And naturally, rewatching something I love, I have to share some thoughts, so here’s how I felt revisiting these movies again. I actually did a rewatch of the movies with my friends last year, but it’s so different taking the time to properly watch them with no distractions.
Twilight

First of all, I have never seen Twilight in the cinema until now. Call me crazy but I didn’t actually fall in love with the saga until New Moon came out. I hadn’t seen the first movie at all before going in blind to a midnight premiere of New Moon my older sister invited me to. So getting the chance to see Twilight in the cinema was unmissable. I needed this experience in my life. Suffice to say it was a very different experience than the one I imagine I would’ve had in 2008.
The cinema was still packed to the brim with Twilight girlies and everyone was still excited but here’s the thing, since 2008, Twilight has become a meme. This is something I would’ve HATED hearing back in 2009 when I discovered the Saga you could NOT tell me anything bad about these movies at the time I would not have heard of it. Cut to 16 years later and I’ve grown up and I can agree, Twilight is a meme and can be cringey.
So instead of all of us sitting on the edge of our seats and swooning at Edward’s every word, there was a lot of laughs. It’s the same movie it’s always been, it’s just time and the internet have twisted it into something new. But that’s not a bad thing. The laughs and the fun made the whole experience feel like a big sleepover, and even if I didn’t know the people sitting next to me, we shared a bond and it was great. It’s one of the things I enjoy the most about going to conventions and concerts etc, you spend time with people who just get you and share a love for things that you do. It’s inclusive and wholesome and if you can experience the vibes I would recommend.
I will say initially I thought the cinema being busy would ruin the experience for me but it really added to it. And despite the laughs and the cringe underneath there was a wave of nostalgia and joy. I am glad I was able to do this, especially for my 13 year old self who missed out back in 2008.
New Moon

Moving on from the sappiness of watching the first movie, we have New Moon. It was the first movie of the series I watched and I was obsessed. I think I watched in the cinema 3/4 times at the time. I can’t tell you what it was that drew me to the series but once I watched the movie I knew I’d be in it for life.
This one had equally cringey and funny moments, instead of Edward though this time we were laughing at Jacob. Sorry boys, but the charms don’t work like they used to for us. I think it’s the first time I’ve heard people laugh when a male lead has taken their shirt off in a movie to be honest, but it’s what was needed.
Eclipse

I remember when Eclipse was coming out and I really disliked everything about it. I just did not like the styling choices at the time and so I just decided to write off the whole movie. So it’s the one I’ve probably seen the least. But since rewatching it I’ve changed my tone. This movie I think is actually pretty good. Not as cringey as the others, and we finally get to learn more about other members of the Cullen family plus some lore on the wolves. I definitely enjoyed it a lot this time around.
The one thing I still can’t get behind is replacing Rachelle Lalevre with Bryce Dallas Howard. I know they had to recast Victoria but I just feel like they could’ve found someone better. The casting didn’t bother me a ton when rewatching but I just feel like Bryce didn’t capture the same feral vibes that Rachelle did when playing Victoria. It’s a small thing but her being the main antagonist in the film makes it very noticeable. So minus points for that but the rest of the movie holds up.
Plus the soundtrack is banging, I forgot how much I listened to the soundtrack before the movie came out but it’s a good one. And shoutout to them for leaning into Charlie’s comedy moments, a highlight for sure.
Breaking Dawn: Part 1

I think I watched Breaking Dawn Part 1 the most when it came out in the cinema, I don’t even know why because I feel like the movie is just okay. This was the time when people were splitting movies into two parts and I feel like it wasn’t needed. If they just stretched this to 2 and a half hours it would have probably been fine.
I do love Edward and Bella’s wedding, that was always special to me. And now that I’m engaged I will definitely be taking inspiration for my own wedding.
The honeymoon is fine but also rewatching now makes me realise it’s a bit icky that Bella manipulates Edward into having sex with her again because of her dream. And I will never get behind Bella almost dying during pregnancy but it’s fiction so we move.
Also a highlight was everyone bursting into laughter at the CGI baby – Renesmee will always be famous.
Breaking Dawn: Part 2

I was not looking forward to the last movie if only because I feel like nothing happens in it, it’s kind of dull. Plus introducing all these new vampires to us this late in the game is pointless. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I was wrapped up in it but at the same time, how could I not be for the last film?
Ultimately, yes, nothing happens. But I did enjoy seeing Edward and Bella integrate more as a family and the end scene obviously was super cute.
Also, the battle scene for me is not that enjoyable. It could just be because I know it’s fake but I think the Eclipse battle had more of an impact on me. Plus they only did the fight scene to add at least 10 minutes to the runtime let’s be real lol.
But overall I was so glad I did this. When they showed the final credits and we all stayed to watch and cheer for our favourites, my heart felt so full. So if you ever have the chance to watch your favourite old films in the cinema, I highly recommend it. There’s nothing like fully engaging in something you used to love it’s good for the soul.







