TWILIGHT
A polished teen romance that belongs with discerning adults.
Should You Watch It?
Twilight holds your interest as both a teen romance and a vampire horror story. Kristen Stewart gives a strong performance as Bella, and the relationship between Bella and her estranged father becomes moving at times. The film also includes some moral and redemptive elements, including good versus evil and sacrificing yourself for people you love.
But the romance is built around smoldering teenage passion apart from God. Bella and Edward nearly have sex, and the film implies that unmarried sex is acceptable while murder is not. The vampire mythology adds occult content, while the violence can be strong and frightening even when it is not especially graphic.
This is a well-made, engaging film with serious worldview concerns. Adults who can discuss those concerns may find merit in it. For children and young teens, choose something else.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESSeventeen-year-old Bella moves from her mother’s home to live with her father in tiny, rainy Forks, Washington. At her new high school, she meets Edward, the mysterious and handsome son of the Cullen family.
Edward first pushes Bella away, then becomes more friendly while remaining difficult to understand. As Bella presses him to reveal his secrets, an unusual romance begins—and she discovers that Edward is a vampire.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means Twilight is engaging but limited. Kristen Stewart does a much better job than Robert Pattinson of conveying the characters’ emotions, while Pattinson’s performance is sometimes overly melodramatic and unconvincing in critical scenes.
The film’s third act is pedestrian and does not create as much suspense or excitement as it could. Still, the movie holds one’s interest, and Bella’s growing relationship with her estranged father is moving at times.
The Worldview
Twilight presents a strong, somewhat mixed romantic worldview. Teenagers follow their feelings rather than common sense or morality, and the film presents smoldering teenage passion apart from God. Bella and Edward nearly fornicate, and the story’s moral framework suggests that unmarried sex is acceptable while murder is not.
The film also introduces occult elements through vampires with unusual powers. They can run fast, fly, jump long distances, read minds, and sometimes read the future. The movie includes no overt references to God or religion beyond its brief explanation of these powers. It also mentions a local Indian belief that the people were descended from wolves.
The film does contain some moral and redemptive elements. It portrays good versus evil and the willingness to sacrifice oneself for people one loves. Bella’s relationship with her estranged father also begins to warm, offering one of the movie’s more inspiring threads. But the romance and supernatural mythology are not grounded in biblical theology.
The film’s longing for love and sacrifice points toward truths Scripture handles more fully: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong, slightly mixed Romantic worldview lacking biblical theology where teenagers go by their feelings rather than common sense or morality with some occult content about the unique powers of an unusual brand of vampire characters who can run fast, fly, jump long distances, read minds, and sometimes read the future, but some moral, redemptive elements of good versus evil and sacrificing oneself for the people you love, plus Indian character mentions pagan belief that his people were descended from wolves; one light obscenity and five light profanities; strong, sometimes scary, violence with some blood, but not very graphic or heavy, such as teenager stops out-of-control van from killing another teen, vampire chases a deer and picks it up deftly to presumably eat it, implied vampire attack, evil vampire flings teenage girl across a room several times, evil vampire starts to bite teenage girl’s arm and suck her blood, implied killing and burning of evil vampire, teenage girl hits her head against post during fight, two vampires fight and fling one another across a room, teenage girl falls on breaking glass and her leg gets stuck by a chard so she begins to bleed, and evil vampire deliberately breaks victim’s leg; passionate teenage kissing, smoldering teenage passion and teenage couple in throws of passion start planning to fornicate on bed but they stop suddenly; upper male nudity and quick shot of teen girl’s panties on her; implied beer drinking; no smoking; and, teenage girl keeps secret from her father and others, father and daughter have awkward relationship but they start warming up to one another, teenage girl admonishes father to eat a salad occasionally, teenage girl lies to her father about what she really feels about him in order to protect him from evil vampire, and vampire reads minds of people in restaurant, saying that most of them are thinking about sex or money.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Bella and Edward follow intense feelings into a dangerous relationship. How can love be guided by wisdom rather than feelings alone?
Proverbs 4:23 · Philippians 1:9–10The film treats unmarried sexual passion as acceptable while condemning murder. What does Scripture say about holiness, desire, and the body?
1 Thessalonians 4:3–5 · 1 Corinthians 6:18–20Edward and his family show willingness to sacrifice themselves to protect Bella. How does that resemble—and differ from—Christ’s sacrifice?
John 15:13 · Romans 5:6–8Bella’s relationship with her father begins to heal. What helps an awkward family relationship grow warmer and more honest?
Ephesians 4:25 · Colossians 3:12–14The Final Word
Twilight offers an engaging romance, a strong performance from Kristen Stewart, and glimpses of sacrifice and redemption. Its occult mythology and passionate romance apart from God make it unsuitable for children and young teens. For discerning adults willing to discuss those concerns, it is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY. For other family movie nights, see.
