Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
The Post - Athens, OH
The independent newspaper covering campus and community since 1911.
The Post

Tracking Trends: The whole 'Twilight' series moves to Netflix, has fans rehashing old memories of the series

The Twilight Saga, a book series written by Stephenie Meyer, which chronicles the love story between a teenage girl and her vampire boyfriend, was all the rage in the early 2000s. By 2012, each of the four books had an accompanying feature film, with stars that have now become household names, like Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. 

On July 16, each of the films were dropped on Netflix, which caused a widespread stir across various social media platforms. Fans all over Twitter and TikTok have shared their reactions to rewatching the films and have even helped explain the storylines further. The continued hype surrounding the Netflix release of the saga has kept the films in the Top 10 Trending category on Netflix since the release date.

Katie Straub, a sophomore studying geography, said the saga’s entrance on Netflix excited her as it brought back childhood memories to when she initially watched the films. 

“My friends and I always used to watch them,” Straub said. “And once I saw they were on Netflix, I was like, ‘Oh, that's so cool.’ I get to rewatch some good movies that we used to watch when we were younger.”

Jenna Tucker, a sophomore studying studio art, was also thrilled to rewatch the films. Tucker said she has particularly enjoyed rewatching them by herself this time around.

“I tried to get my boyfriend to watch it with me, and he is not a fan,” Tucker said. “I think it's got the whole chick-flick stereotype surrounding it, but I just rewatch it by myself. They're so good. And that way, nobody's interrupting the movie. I can just sit there and focus on the movie.”

Kaylee Hammel, a junior studying exercise physiology, was a major fan of The Twilight Saga when it was first popular. While she was an avid fan of the books and the films, Hammel said her perception of the series has changed over the years. 

“When they came out on Netflix, I really wanted to watch them, but it's actually funny, when I started rewatching it, all I could think about is how stupid it was looking back on it,” Hammel said. “(The characters are) like 17 years old – this is so not realistic and the acting is horrible. But when I first watched them, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, this is the best thing ever.’”

For many fans, including Straub, the poor quality of the films makes them all the more entertaining to watch. 

“They're both bad and good,” Straub said. “They’re kind of a weird plot – the whole love triangle thing that they have going on, but I for some reason (find them) addicting to watch.”

This “love triangle” is centered around Bella, the human protagonist, Edward, her vampire classmate and Jacob, her childhood-friend-turned-werewolf. When the series first came out, fans were divided between the two male lovers for Bella – splitting into two teams: Team Edward and Team Jacob.

“(I’m on) Team Edward, because (Bella’s) relationship with Jacob never made sense to me,” Hammel said. “And at the end of the Eclipse movie, she talks about how being a vampire fits her personality better, which is true. I liked her better as a vampire than I did when she was human. So, I feel like she has to be with Edward for that to be achievable.”

Despite the humor associated with the film’s plot, Tucker said she has enjoyed the nostalgia that rewatching the films has given her.

“It's been really fun to rewatch the series and they're definitely still as good,” Tucker said. “It's just been a lot of fun to relive my childhood.”

@laurenserge

ls351117@ohio.edu 

Powered by SNworks Solutions by The State News
All Content © 2016-2024 The Post, Athens OH