15 Years Of ‘Twilight:’ Was It Really That Much Of A Cringe-Fest?

Twilight is one of my comfort movies and I’ve gotten some strange looks for the same. The first instalment of the series was released on November 21, 2008. But, almost as soon as the movie came out, people began describing it as a major cringe-fest.

Granted, there were many holes in its screenplay and script, but it did have a mood (as the Reddit crowd likes to call it) or an ambience. The four-book series by Stephenie Meyer (that the franchise is based on) was largely popular among teenage girls. And I think sometimes people forget that the movies’ were created in such a way that they’d also appeal to teenagers.

Or perhaps, it isn’t that people forget that teen women were its biggest fan base, but rather society’s general dislike of anything related to teenagers, and especially teenage girls. Face it, teenage girls’ interests, whether that’s regarding media, films or books are almost always mocked and spoken about with derision.

The Twilight series was not the most refined kind of movie out there, for sure, but it also wasn’t irrelevant. It defined a whole generation of women’s coming-of-age experience. I mean, we loved the weird romance between a vampire and a human, we loved seeing young love blossom into a lifelong romance. We enjoyed revelling in the idea that there is a couple out there (even if they’re entirely fictional) who will live forever, in love and that their worst battles are with a secret vampire coven and not with their own toxic traits. And yes, that’s a slight form of escapism, but that’s the whole point! The reason why so many of us rewatch Twilight every fall is because we want to feel safe and cosy and take a break from the chaos of everyday life.

The thing is, the world makes fun of cringe teen movies and shows as if its fans are unaware that it is. We know that the film is wildly imaginative and that the dialogues are unrealistic, but if the movie feels like a soft blanket, in the coldest months of the year, then we are going to watch it. It’s okay to indulge in media, films, art and music that’s not all that serious. And who exactly are we trying to impress with our choices in films and art?

Don’t get us wrong, tt’s perfectly fine if you like more serious, intellectually elevated movies, music and books, but there is no shame in liking teen movies that are in fact, just not that serious. That doesn’t make you any less smart or sensible.

On that note, here’s to 15 years of Twilight, to the comfort it offers so many of us every fall season, to the stunning Carolina Herrera wedding dress that Bella wears. And most of all, here’s to Jacob Black, because we still wonder whether Bella made the right choice by marrying Edward and not the human-equivalent-of-a-thermal-blanket AKA Jacob.

Full of awkwardness, teenage romance, and impossible love stories – Twilight gave us hope and warmth – despite its strange green blue print and the fact that it was set against the backdrop of the gloomy weather of USA’s Pacific Northwest.

So, please stop hating on girlhood and teen movies, they’re some of our best bets for comfort.