Committing to the Bit(e): Musings from the World’s Biggest* "Twilight" Screening
- Olivia Smith
- Nov 21
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 21
What I learned as a first-timer in the cult of the Cullens
Confession: I’ve never seen Twilight.
Olivia, you call yourself a film buff, yet you’ve never seen THE greatest piece of vampire cinema to ever grace the silver screen?
I know. I’m as disappointed as you are. Somehow, between my semi-sheltered homeschool upbringing and mistakenly writing the franchise off as low-brow kitsch, I survived my teenage years without ever stepping into Stephanie Meyer’s world of vampires and werewolves.
Fortunately, that all changed last night.
Presented by the ever-fabulous Reel Friends crew, The Tara Theatre hosted a sold-out 35mm screening of Twilight. It was a historic evening, marking the largest Reel Friends event to date. With over 500 Twihards in attendance, host Rocco Shapiro also concluded that this could very well be the largest screening of the film since its original premiere at the Mann Village Theatre in 2008.
The line wrapped around the building as patrons eagerly awaited their chance to enter the theater. While waiting for doors, I interviewed fans about what keeps them coming back to this beloved franchise. Many remarked that it was a key part of their younger years. Hannah said the film hit her right on time, perfectly tapping into her pre-teen self’s “affinity for vampires.” Her friend Jordan shared a similar sentiment, explaining that the Twilight saga represented a turning point in her coming of age: “I think it was my entry into, like, sexy fantasy [laughs]. I started with Harry Potter, which is very unsexy, so to see Twilight...I automatically fell in love with Jacob.” Others discovered the films later in life. Caroline and Laura sat together near the back, representing the mom-aged demographic of the fanbase. “We’re old enough to be into the vampire people from before, like Anne Rice, Buffy [The Vampire Slayer], the True Blood books,” Caroline explained. “We enjoy the lore of the vampire, but I have to say these are the schlockiest of them all.”
Sterling and Jesse chose to celebrate their 5-year wedding anniversary at the screening. As a fan of the books, Sterling was initially disappointed by the films, but rewatches led her to appreciate the Twilight saga in different ways: “I get something new out of it every time we watch.” Sterling introduced Jesse to the films when they started dating and says it’s become “a thing” for them now. “We just really bonded over just how ridiculous the movies are,” Jesse added. “They're ironically, and in earnest, very good movies.”
In true Reel Friends fashion, the pre-show kicked off with a bang. The Reel Friends House Band performed iconic hits from the Twilight soundtrack, ranging from Muse’s “Supermassive Black Hole” to Paramore’s “Decode.” The set was followed by a stellar costume contest. Along with a handful of screen-accurate Alices and Victorias, standouts included dad duo Charlie Swan and a glittering Carlisle Cullen, Rosalie angrily crushing a salad bowl, and a friend group dressed as Emmett and his hard-boiled eggs. The winner? A cardboard box version of Tyler’s car that nearly crashes into Bella.
When the film finally started, I realized I had completely underestimated what I was getting into. Nearly every guest I talked to expressed the same evolution since their first watch:
Twilight is the greatest movie to ever exist.
Twilight is the worst movie to ever exist.
Twilight is the funniest movie to ever exist.
Twilight is the greatest movie to ever exist.
Instead of experiencing this critical journey over the course of seventeen years (like most of the audience), I went through the same four stages in two hours. During the film’s runtime, I got to witness the beautiful rollercoaster that is Twilight. For starters, the film is surprisingly well-made. The reel had not been used since Twilight’s original run in 2008, but it was one of the crispest I’ve ever seen. Longtime fan Evelyn talked to me about the film’s revolutionary cinematography, with its sweeping shots of the Pacific Northwest and iconic blue color grading. She likened Twilight to indie darling Napoleon Dynamite: both movies are charmingly offbeat with genuinely well-crafted artistry behind them.
Because of its stronger cinematic tendencies, it’s hard to say Twilight falls in the “so-bad-it’s-good” category, but there are still plenty of head-scratching, mind-boggling, what-am-I-even-watching moments. There’s an understood campiness to the story, and one must accept it (in all its fake-ketchup-shaking glory) and roll with the punches. Arden (our mustachioed Charlie Swan from the costume contest) summed it up perfectly: “To laugh at it is to love it.” And laugh we did—the audience cackled at every meme and memorable quote. It was like a toned-down screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show or The Room: fewer flying props, same enthusiastic audience participation.
As the credits rolled, I finally understood the hype. Twilight is magic. On one hand, it takes itself too seriously and (rightfully?) demands respect. On the other, it acknowledges its tackiness with a wink and a nod—everyone is welcome to join the inside joke. My brother mused that if Twilight were released today, it might’ve been even more self-aware—perhaps an intentionally-ironic A24 release with Jacob Elordi involved in some capacity—but the original’s meticulous balance of serious and silly is what makes it the memorable flick we know and love all these years later.
In the sea of Robert Pattinson t-shirts and baseball uniforms, I found a thriving community. The internet often mourns the loss of “third spaces,” but it’s events like this one that remind us of how moviegoing can bring us together. Host and programmer Syd Stan expressed her gratitude to the crowd: “I want to thank you guys for showing up for independent filmmakers, for independent cinema, and for community experiences like this.” Watching a film with other people can create a mesmerizing, unifying environment, and it certainly doesn’t hurt when you have a crowd as engaged as this one.
Amanda, who claims to have seen Twilight nearly fifty times, is a prime example of the passion within the fandom. In full Victoria cosplay, she nailed the secret to the movie’s allure: “Obviously, it’s big and a little out there. It's not necessarily super grounded in reality. But I think that the characters truly commit to the bit, and that's what I like about it.” She shook out her ginger wig and shrugged. “It's a bit cheesy. But if it wasn't, I wouldn't like it as much. And I think sometimes that's the point.”
Article by Olivia Smith. Photos by Mikey Smith. Please credit @mts2.photo or @art.seen.atl if reposting on social media.
