Millions of readers and viewers all around the world have been captivated by Twilight, the story of how a human teenager named Bella falls in love with Edward, a vampire. The movies reached a global audience and launched the cast to stardom, but despite the hype, countless fans have picked up on several elements of Twilight that are inappropriate. When you consider that the franchise is aimed at a young and impressionable audience, they’re even more inappropriate.
From unhealthy relationships to toxic characters to actions that would be creepy if they occurred in real life, here are 15 times that the Twilight movies were inappropriate and a little problematic.
15 Edward Watching Bella Sleep Without Her Consent
Most Twilight viewers agree that the concept of Edward watching Bella while she sleeps without her consent is kind of creepy, even if it’s supposed to show his infatuation with her. Imagine if someone did this in the real world! Non-consensual anything is not cool, and it’s not suddenly less inappropriate because he’s a vampire.
14 Edward Telling Bella She’s Not Allowed To Move During Their First Kiss
When Edward and Bella share their first kiss, Edward tells her not to move. He only does this because he’s trying to concentrate on not losing control and biting her, but the concept of being told that you’re not allowed to move when you’re kissing someone is definitely problematic.
13 Jacob Forcibly Kissing Bella
One of the biggest pitfalls of the relationship between Jacob and Bella is that the first time they kiss, she doesn’t want to do it. Jacob forcibly kisses her after telling her that he doesn’t believe that she doesn’t love him. There is so much wrong with this we don’t know where to start.
12 Bella Kissing Jacob To Stop Him From Leaving Her
The second time that Bella and Jacob kiss, it’s consensual but still inappropriate. Bella asks him to kiss her, perhaps to stop him from rushing off and doing something dangerous. This is made even more cringeworthy when Edward walks up straight after and Bella says that she loves them both.
11 Bella Putting Herself In Danger For The Sake Of Edward
One of the biggest problems with the Twilight movies is that Bella seems to be totally helpless without Edward. Her whole life revolves around him, and when he leaves her, she does anything she can to get him back after sinking into a deep depression. That includes putting herself in direct danger.
10 Bella Believing That Edward Is Her Only Reason For Living
Bella’s depression in New Moon stems from the fact that she now has to live her life without Edward. She honestly doesn’t believe her life is worth anything without him and that’s not a great message to send to impressionable viewers. She doesn’t even consider her friends or family and their importance in her life. It’s all about Edward.
9 Edward Wanting To Die Without Bella
Bella is quite dependent on Edward, but Edward is no Bella. In a Romeo and Juliet-kind of situation, Edward also decides that he wants to die when he believes that Bella is dead and he can’t have her. All these characters wanting to die without each other makes for a very problematic message.
8 The Cullens Dating Their Adoptive Siblings
Does anybody else think it’s weird that the Cullens all date their adoptive siblings? We understand that most vampires don’t want to date humans, and since the Cullens are “vegetarians” they don’t necessarily want to mix with many other vampires. But still. They share parents, for goodness’ sake.
7 Edward Controlling And Manipulating Bella
Many viewers have pointed out that Edward and Bella’s relationship is toxic because of the way that Edward tries to control and manipulate Bella, all the while telling her it’s for her own safety. He breaks parts of her car so that she can’t drive, tells her not to move while they’re kissing, and shames her for wanting to be intimate with him.
6 Jacob Guilting Bella For Not Wanting Him
Bella seems to get shamed a lot throughout the movie. It’s obvious from the beginning that her primary choice is Edward over Jacob, which she’s entitled to. But Jacob can’t seem to take no for an answer and has a tantrum every time she rejects him. In light of the #MeToo movement, women being made to feel guilty for saying no is a serious issue.
