Whether you’re team Edward or team Jacob, we are still all unconditionally and irrevocably in love with Twilight.
The earth shattering vampire-werewolf franchise sank its teeth into generations of Twihards on November 21, 2008 and is still an iconic film series today.
The series was released over a span of four years from the first Twilight movie in 2008 to Twilight: Breaking Dawn—Part 2 in 2012.
The movies center around a cringy teenage girl named Bella Swan, played by Kristen Stewart, who falls in love with an awkward, mysterious, and eye-color changing classmate Edward Cullen, played by Robert Pattinson.
In the middle of the woods with the camera spinning at 100 miles per hour, Bella comes to find out Edward is a 104 year old vampire while clinging onto his back.
Their romance evolves throughout the series. An old friend of Bella’s, Jacob Black, played by Taylor Lautner, plays a role in the love triangle that emerges through the series. Die-hard Twihards went insane for Edward’s sparkly skin and Jacob’s muscles.
When it was eventually revealed Jacob is a teen werewolf, the vampire-werewolf sensation took off.
History teacher Isabel Cortes grew up during the height of Twilight’s popularity and feels sentimental looking back at when she first saw the films in theaters.
“It was one of the first really big movie franchises for me,” she said. “It really shaped my middle school experience.” “There’s something just really nostalgic about the opening scenes in the first film when you’re introduced to Forks, WA,” she said.
The cinematography of the film has become extremely recognizable, now known for its iconic blue filter and pale faces. Twilight was one of the first mainstream alternative franchises, having alternative bands on their soundtrack such as Paramore, Linkin Park, and Muse.
“One of the biggest things that came out of Twilight was this new fandom where students could connect with characters and realize that it was a part of their identity or a part of who they identified as,” Cortes said.
Cortes believes if TikTok had been around during Twilight’s release, it would have been an even bigger phenomenon.
However, edits of the characters, memes of the infamous Loch Ness Monster reference, or imitations of the horrible acting still receive millions of views on social media today.
Cortes explained how the final film felt.
“It was the end of an era and I think everyone knew it too,” she said.
People definitely celebrated the ending of Twilight as the saga has gained a reputation of being one of the cringiest and corniest movies.
Since the release of Twilight, there have been numerous parodies of the saga including ones from Saturday Night Live, Jersey Shore, and Sesame Street.
Twilight has certainly left its bite mark on pop culture today and will continue to imprint on generations to come.
