Twilight Saga: Every Movie Ranked From Worst To Best (2025)

While the Twilight movies ranked lower than some other beloved young fantasy series, like Harry Potter, the incredibly popular franchise still has plenty of fans who continue to debate which are the worst and best movies in the saga. Vampires are traditionally depicted as tragic, romantic, and dark creatures, but Stephenie Meyer changed the world of the fanged supernatural beings with her unique vision seen in her novels. Twilight introduced the audience to Edward Cullen, a vampire who fed off animal blood and whose skin sparkled under the sunlight. However, it was Edward's romance with moral teenager Bella Swan that gripped readers.

In 2008, Twilight made the jump to the big screen with Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen and Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan, becoming an even bigger phenomenon than the books. The success of the first movie helped to launch a franchise that opened the mythology of this supernatural world while also introducing the love triangle with Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). Although the quality of the Twilight Saga was inconsistent, some of these movies captured the excitement of this lore and its romance, while others left fans disappointed.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)

Bella's Pregnancy Can't Save This Plodding Plot

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7.2/10

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1

PG-13

Drama

Fantasy

Romance

The fourth film in the Twilight film franchise, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1, sets up the finale for the adaptation of the popular book series. Following the wedding of Edward and Bella, the two are soon with child, but its unnatural rate of growth begins to threaten Bella's life, as well as strike fear into the hearts of the wolves. However, a greater threat marches ever closer for the residents of Forks.

Where to Watch

• stream
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*Availability in US

Director

Bill Condon

Release Date

November 18, 2011

Cast

Kristen Stewart , Robert Pattinson , Taylor Lautner , Billy Burke , Peter Facinelli , Elizabeth Reaser , Kellan Lutz , Nikki Reed , Jackson Rathbone , Ashley Greene

Runtime

117 Minutes

See Also

The Twilight Saga: All Movies in Chronological OrderDie richtige Reihenfolge der „Twilight”-FilmeEvery Twilight Movie In OrderThe Twilight Saga: Best Movie Watch Order

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 was all about Bella and Edward’s wedding and the preparations for her transformation. However, what no one was counting on was Bella getting pregnant and all the problems that would bring. Following the trend set by the Harry Potter movie franchise, the final book in the series was split into two parts, with Part 1 serving as a setup for the conclusion which is just one of the issues with the movie.

The movie feels like an incomplete and rather pointless entry in the franchise for much of its runtime. Despite Breaking Dawn - Part 1 bringing the franchise to some big moments, including Bella's long-awaited transformation, there is no fun or excitement to be had. Even Bella's pregnancy is dull in the context of this aimless story. There are a few strong points, such as Kristen Stewart's committed performance and the horror elements featured in Bella's birthing scene, but it is not surprising that Breaking Dawn Part 1 ranks the lowest of the franchise on Rotten Tomatoes.

New Moon (2009)

Edward's Toxicity Drags The Movie Down, But Dakota Fanning & Michael Sheen Deliver Great Villainous Turns

5/10

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

PG-13

Adventure

Documentary

Drama

Fantasy

Romance

The second film in the Twilight film series, New Moon follows Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), who is thrown into a deep depression when he vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) breaks up with Bella and moves away after an incident convinces him that he and his family and dangerous to her. As she struggles to cope with her depression and begins forming a closer bond with her werewolf best friend Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), Bella begins to be pulled deeper into the world of the supernatural despite both Jacob's and Edward's attempts to keep her safe.

Where to Watch

• stream
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*Availability in US

Director

Chris Weitz

Release Date

November 18, 2009

Cast

Kristen Stewart , Taylor Lautner , Robert Pattinson , Billy Burke , Ashley Greene , Anna Kendrick

Runtime

130 minutes

The second installment in the Twilight Saga, New Moon, focused on the break-up between Bella and Edward and everything caused by that. The break-up leaves Bella depressed and isolated, but she slowly begins to open up and spends more time with Jacob, whose attraction to her only grows. The movie also gets a boost to its cast with some entertaining villainous performances from the likes of Dakota Fanning and Michael Sheen.

New Moon is the most problematic Twilight movie due to how much Edward’s manipulative ways show, and how Bella seems unable to break free from her co-dependency. However, there are some who have viewed the movie as a strong depiction of loss and the hardships of teen romance seen in many coming-of-age stories. These aspects have led to New Moon being the most divisive of the Twilight movies, but its box office success of nearly $300 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo) proved that fans were invested in the franchise.

Twilight (2008)

An Enchanting Teen Romance Centered On Bella & Edward

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8.1/10

Twilight

PG-13

Romance

Fantasy

Drama

Based on Stephenie Meyer’s book of the same name, Twilight follows Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), who falls madly in love with Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), who she soon finds out is a vampire. Falling in love with her at the same time, Edward and Bella must overcome obstacles to preserve their forbidden relationship.

Where to Watch

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*Availability in US

Director

Catherine Hardwicke

Release Date

November 21, 2008

Cast

Robert Pattinson , Ashley Greene , Peter Facinelli , Rachelle Lefevre , Elizabeth Reaser , Kristen Stewart , Nikki Reed , Jackson Rathbone , Cam Gigandet , Kellan Lutz , Taylor Lautner , Anna Kendrick , Billy Burke

Runtime

121 minutes

See Also

How to Watch Every Twilight Movie in Order

Being the first installment in the saga, it’s undeniable that Twilight has a unique spark that made the audience (especially those not into the novels) much more welcoming. Twilight can be easily considered a teen romance, as the core of the movie is Bella and Edward’s first encounters and the evolution of their relationship. Twilight also told the audience the basics of vampires in Meyer’s world, which made it easier for the sequels to carry on with their stories without having to dive into the complex mythology that would take over the franchise eventually

Having Catherine Hardwicke as director was one of Twilight’s strengths, as she was able to tell the story through Bella’s eyes, truly giving it a teen romance vibe but with sparkly vampires. In retrospect, Twilight was able to settle a very important detail that the rest of the movies forgot about: this is Bella and Edward’s story told through Bella’s perspective, which is why it has a feeling of newness and excitement.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)

The Darkness Of Twilight's Vampire World Is On Full Display

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6.5/10

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

PG-13

Adventure

Documentary

Drama

Fantasy

Romance

In the third chapter of Stephenie Meyer's phenomenal Twilight series, Bella Swan is surrounded by danger as Seattle is hit by a string of murders and an evil vampire continues her quest for revenge. In the midst of it all, Bella is forced to choose between her love, Edward Cullen, and her friend, Jacob Black — knowing that her decision may start another war in the ageless feud between the werewolves and vampires.

Where to Watch

• stream
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*Availability in US

Director

David Slade

Release Date

June 30, 2010

Cast

Kristen Stewart , Robert Pattinson , Taylor Lautner , Billy Burke , Ashley Greene , Jackson Rathbone

Runtime

123 minutes

Eclipse followed Bella as she was haunted by Victoria, who was still looking for revenge after the Cullens killed her companion, James, in Twilight. In order for her revenge to be successful, Victoria armed herself with her own group of vampires, all of them newborns and desperately looking for blood. Eclipse is considered by many to be the best novel of the Twilight series thanks to its exploration of more mature themes and a much more exciting story, which the team behind the movie managed to bring to the big screen.

Eclipse blended drama, romance, action, and comedy but without forcing it to drop jokes every few minutes. The story also gives Bella more to do and think about other than her relationship with Edward, as there’s also her high school graduation, her future, and her and Charlie’s safety now that the newborn army is attacking Forks. Eclipse also gave the audience a proper (and real) battle with a purpose, further elevating the blockbuster aspects of the franchise and not just remaining a teen romance.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2011)

Bella & Edward's Story Reaches Its Epic Conclusion

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8/10

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2

PG-13

Drama

Fantasy

Romance

The fifth and final film in the Twilight franchise, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2, picks up with the newly transformed Bella, now a vampire, learning to adjust to her new life. Her daughter, who has continued to grow at an accelerated rate, is seen as a sin by the Volturi, leading them to sentence the entire Cullen family to death. To protect the clan, Bella, Edward, and Jacob gather allies to prepare for a showdown.

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

*Availability in US

Director

Bill Condon

Release Date

November 18, 2011

Cast

Kristen Stewart , Robert Pattinson , Taylor Lautner , Billy Burke , Peter Facinelli , Elizabeth Reaser , Kellan Lutz , Nikki Reed , Jackson Rathbone , Ashley Greene , Michael Sheen , Dakota Fanning

Runtime

117 Minutes

Despite the franchise being shaky at times, Twilight manages to end things on a high note with its final chapter. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 focuses on Bella’s transformation into a vampire and the Cullens’ struggles to keep their clan safe, as the Volturi are going after them following the news of Reneesme’s birth. Breaking Dawn - Part 2 introduces more vampires, as the Cullens need as much help as they can get, and so the audience gets to see Lee Pace, Rami Malek, Noel Fisher, MyAnna Buring, and more in full vampire mode.

Along with the extended cast, this feels like the biggest of the Twilight movies with real stakes and thrills. Of course, that is not to say it is without its flaws. The visual effects and make-up in the Twilight Saga got worse as the movies progressed, with it becoming a distraction for some of the bigger setpieces in this conclusion. Of course, there’s also the infamous CGI baby Renesmee, which became a bit of unintentional comedy in the movie.

However, this is by far the most entertaining of the Twilight movies, earning the highest Rotten Tomatoes score. Bella and Edward's romance was losing some of its excitement in the later entries, so it is nice to see that their semi-stable relationship was not the sole source of drama this time around. The movie builds to a thrilling climax that outdoes all the franchise's previous action sequences. The reveals about the ending of Breaking Dawn Part 2 is controversial, but the movie at least entertained the fans who stuck with the franchise this long.

The Future Of The Twilight Franchise

It has been over a decade since the last Twilight movie was released, but there looks to be more from the franchise coming soon. Following the announcement that the Harry Potter series would be moving to the small screen on HBO Max, Netflix decided to bring another beloved fantasy franchise to television form with a Twilight show. However, unlike the new Harry Potter series, the Twilight series will be animated and will not quite be a remake of the original books.

Instead, Netflix's Twilight series will be an adaptation of Stephanie Meyer's novel, Midnight Sun. The 2020 novel was a retelling of the Twilight story but told from Edward Cullen's perspective. While it might seem like an excuse to simply tell the same story again, this new approach to the franchise could give some interesting insights. Edward is a complicated character with his motivations and true feelings not always clear in the movies. This show will open audiences to his world in a more in-depth way.

While the Netflix series is exciting, there is no word on whether the Twilight franchise could return to the big screen with some of the key cast returning. Meyer never wrote a sequel taking place after the events of Breaking Dawn, but that does not mean there are no more stories to tell. However, with Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson's careers more focused on prestige projects, it seems unlikely they could be convinced to return.