Robert Pattinson‘s movies have been the definition of an upward spiral in his career. He was at his most popular in 2008, when Pattinson was engulfed in mega-stardom thanks to his casting as the brooding, glistening vampire Edward Cullen in all five movies of The Twilight Saga. However, instead of basking in the limelight as most would, Pattinson plunged himself into the waters of indie and arthouse cinema, going on to work with the likes of Werner Herzog (Queen of the Desert), David Cronenberg (Cosmopolis), and Claire Denis (High Life).

Recently, Robert Pattinson’s movies have made a return to the mainstream, which feels like a natural transition, belting out one stellar performance after another in films like Robert Eggers’ psychological horror The Lighthouse and Netflix’s noir-thriller The Devil All the Time. Today, all eyes are on him, as he starred as the тιтular DC superhero Batman in Matt Reeves’ film, The Batman, and joined up with Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho for the sci-fi dark comedy, Mickey 17, leaving Twilight in the rear-view mirror.

24

Queen of the Desert (2015)

T.E. Lawrence

Based on the life of British archaeologist and cartographer Gertrude Bell, Werner Herzog’s 2015 biopic Queen of the Desert received mostly negative reviews and tanked at the box office. In addition to Pattinson, the film starred Nicole Kidman (as Gerfrude Bell), James Franco, and Damian Lewis, who, despite their efforts, failed to weave the narrative together into a comprehensive whole.

Pattinson appears briefly as renowned archaeologist and diplomat T.E. Lawrence (the basis of Lawrence of Arabia) and manages to lend an aura of significance to the role. The movie lacks Herzog’s trademark eccentricity, which is almost always tinged with genius, such as the likes seen in Nosferatu the Vampyre and Aguirre, the Wrath of God. While based in history, things just never seemed to pull together to tell a satisfying or fulfilling story in the end.

23

Bel Ami (2012)

Georges Duroy

In Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod’s Bel Ami, Robert Pattinson is cast as Georges Duroy, the protagonist of Guy de Maupᴀssant’s 1885 French novel of the same name. Having served in the French army in Algeria, Duroy arrives in Paris with the hopes of climbing up the social ladder. He goes on to garner explosive public recognition as editor of an influential Parisian newspaper, all while using his power of seduction to charm wealthy women and become a high-class prosтιтute.

While Maupᴀssant carves Duroy’s transformation as drastic and awe-inspiring in the Robert Pattinson movie, it seems believable simply because of his Machiavellian cunning and wicked charm. As Roger Ebert put it, Pattinson’s portrayal of Duroy lacks vitality and conviction, which marks “the downfall of the film.” While Pattinson was not at his best, his co-star Christina Ricci was in top form in the film as Clotilde de Marelle, a woman who truly loves the man.

22

Little Ashes (2009)

Salvador Dali

Hinged on a premise brimming with potential, Little Ashes could have been a daring glimpse at repressed Sєxuality between surrealist painter Salvador Dalí and Spanish poet Federico García Lorca. Instead, the Robert Pattinson movie flounders, meanders, and finally loses its way, despite being set against stunning cityscapes and rural backdrops. Pattinson plays Dalí with an affected accent and evident uncertainty, which seems much akin to going through the motions for the sake of it.

Admittedly, Little Ashes is sprinkled with poetically poignant moments, such as when Dalí is evicted from the Surrealist movement or when Lorca exudes a kind of vulnerable innocence in certain scenes. However, the film ultimately fails to impress, not even making $1 million at the box office and receiving mostly poor reviews, with critics saying it has a beautiful cast but is mostly an uneven viewing experience.

21

The Twilight Saga (2008-2012)

Edward Cullen

The Twilight Saga warrants no introduction, being a five-part fantasy romance series that grossed over $3.3 billion worldwide, helmed by none other than Pattinson’s rendition of Edward Cullen and Kristen Stewart’s Bella Swan. While the series as a whole has been fairly popular at the box office, Twilight’s narrative and performances come off as inconsistent and sometimes border on parody.

When compared to the source material, The Twilight Saga pales in comparison while heightening the melodrama, especially in New Moon and Breaking Dawn – Part 1. Pattinson says that Twilight is his most difficult role due to the fact that filling the shoes of an immortal vampire for five movies straight can eventually become hackneyed and uninspiring, coupled with the absence of genuine, meaningful stakes. However, its box office success and lasting fanbase prove its appeal.

20

Remember Me (2010)

Tyler Hawkins

Allen Coulter’s 2010 coming-of-age drama, Remember Me garnered mostly negative reviews due to its sluggish pace and ending, while it starred Pattinson, Emilie de Ravin, Chris Cooper, Lena Olin, and Pierce Brosnan. While certain junctures in the movie are heartfelt and the chemistry between Pattinson and de Ravin exudes genuine charm, Remember Me suffers from a misguided attempt to imbue a lackluster story with the heavyweight of real-life tragedy, which ultimately mars character motivations.

The movie leads to a shocking twist ending that puts the characters in the middle of a real-life American tragedy, one that many viewers felt was used as emotional manipulation, which was an insult to people who lost loved ones during the 9/11 disaster. Remember Me‘s twist ending can be distasteful for some, owing to the fact that it aims for profundity without substance. However, Pattinson’s performance as Tyler is sincere and believable.

19

Waiting for the Barbarians (2019)

Officer Mandel

Ciro Guerra’s Waiting for the Barbarians is a 2020 action drama based on J.M. Coetzee’s namesake novel, which draws from the author’s experiences in apartheid-era South Africa, which he re-frames into a fictional desert setting. The drama film has some strong performances from Johnny Depp as Colonel Joll and Mark Rylance as The Magistrate, along with a competent portrayal of Officer Mandel by Pattinson in a supporting role.

Nevertheless, if one were to dissect the film’s core, the historical and geographical setting seems too vague, albeit beautifully sH๏τ. While the film was a hit at the Venice Film Festival, it failed to impress when released, was mostly ignored at the box office, and ended up receiving lukewarm reviews at best. Critics said Waiting for the Barbarians was an admirable attempt but wasn’t executed strongly enough, and the performances all seemed to let the story down in the end.

18

Water for Elephants (2011)

Jacob Jankowski

Francis Lawrence is best known for directing three of the four Hunger Games films and the post-apocalyptic horror I Am Legend. Lawrence’s Water for Elephants is a romantic drama starring Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, and Christopher Waltz, and it garnered mixed reviews. The Robert Pattinson movie set in a 1930s circus is filmed in beautiful vignettes and retells Sara Gruen’s spectacular 2006 circus tale to good effect.

The only point of contention in Water for Elephants is the lack of chemistry between the leads, especially Witherspoon and Pattinson. This makes their forbidden affair lack agency and appear contrived. Despite that, fans turned out for the movie, which was a minor box office success, while critical reviews were mixed to positive, with praise going to the look of the movie but points being taken off for the performances, especially concerning the romantic leads.

17

Maps to the Stars (2014)

Jerome Fontana

Starring Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, John Cusack, and Robert Pattinson, David Cronenberg’s Maps to the Stars is a satirical drama film with praiseworthy performances and a hyperreal aura that is deeply Cronenbergian, as seen in ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Ringers. The Cronenberg movie delves into the unsavory underbelly of show business and does not hold back in expressing its venomous scorn. The film mostly follows a child star and a washed-up actress and shows the entertainment industry’s relationship with the world.

While Julianne Moore is spectacular as the aging, fading actress, almost in a visceral manner, Robert Pattinson plays struggling actor Jerome Fontana with just the perfect amount of subtlety. Jerome is a limo driver, but he has big dreams of becoming a successful screenwriter and believes he might be the sanest person in the entire film, although he is still waiting for his big break.

16

Damsel (2018)

Samuel Alabaster

An American Western comedy by David and Nathan Zellner, Damsel pairs Pattinson with Mia Wasikowska in an anti-quest story rife with unexpected twists and a refreshing dose of humor. Set in a coastal shantytown, the black comedy opens with Samuel Alabaster (Pattinson), looking for a preacher man, whereas Wasikowska’s Penelope ᴀssumes center-stage in the second half, proving that she is not the damsel in need of saving.

Pattinson wears Samuel’s cloddish, good Samaritan aura with ease, bringing in a special brand of foolish naivete as he croons a love ballad with fervor. All in all, Damsel might be too tongue-in-cheek for its own good, but the film does a commendable job of capturing the essence of the Old West and evoking a rare kind of beauty true to the genre. The movie received mixed to positive reviews, with praise going to the twists, humor, and design, but with complaints about its slow pace.

15

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

Cedric Diggory

The fourth installment of the beloved Harry Potter franchise sees Robert Pattinson as Cedric Diggory. Goblet of Fire zeroes in on the Triwizard Tournament, which sets up the premise for a host of new characters, which include students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, and Hogwarts’ very own Cedric Diggory. Pattinson fleshes out Diggory’s boyish charm pretty well, which leaves even those not familiar with the books invested in his character.

In the Harry Potter movie, Cedric’s death carries a significant amount of weight, as it is a testimony to Voldemort’s return and his unflinching cruelty — making it a turning point in the narrative and Harry’s journey as a whole. Patterson carried himself with poise and dignity as Cedric, and it seems shocking to know that it was one of his first-ever movie roles, although it is easy to see how he nabbed the lead Twilight role after this performance.

14

Cosmopolis (2012)

Eric Packer

David Cronenberg’s 2012 drama-thriller Cosmopolis is based on a novel by Don DeLillo and stars Pattinson as billionaire currency speculator Eric Packer, alongside Paul Giamatti, Samantha Morton, Sarah Gadon, Mathieu Amalric, and Juliette Binoche. The result is a psychologically complex foray into the vapid soullessness that often pervades the 1%, wherein Pattinson’s performance is sensational, as he channels a strange mix of volcanic anxiety and self-depreciation that roots his presence center stage.

Critics showered the Robert Pattinson movie with polarizing reviews, likening it to a coldness that is the very opposite of the vibe in Cronenberg’s 1999 sci-fi thriller, eXistenZ. It has a 67% Rotten Tomatoes score, and it seems just as many reviews found the movie cold and distant as those that found it to be psychologically complex. It went on to win two Canadian Screen Awards — one for the score and the other for an original song (“Long to Live”).

13

Life (2015)

Dennis Stock

Anton Corbijn’s biographical drama, Life, is based on the friendship between pH๏τographer Dennis Stock and actor James Dean, as portrayed by Pattinson and Dane DeHaan, respectively. The biographical drama peers into how pH๏τography as a medium holds the ability to transform human interaction and is an endearing yet charged camaraderie tale that is fascinating in more ways than one.

DeHaan plays James Dean with a twist of his own, much like his performance as Lucien Carr in Kill Your Darlings, while Pattinson brings a strong brand of restlessness overrun with guilt and anxiety to Stock’s character, which works well for the film. Life was a mᴀssive box office flop, making only $1.2 million on a $10-$15 million budget, while reviews were mixed to positive, with critics saying that the film lacked James Dean’s intensity but was still ambitious.

12

The Childhood of a Leader (2016)

Charles Marker / Adult Prescott

Being Brady Corbet’s feature directorial debut, The Childhood of a Leader is loosely based on Jean-Paul Sartre’s 1939 story and is an imagined tale of the dysfunctional and turbulent childhood of someone fated to become a fascist leader. This petulant 10-year-old, Prescott, is both privileged and doomed at the same time, and one sees Pattinson in the role of the child’s family friend, Charles Marker, a journalist and free-thinking individual.

Pattinson plays Marker with nuanced elegance, and Corbet pulls off a clever twist — Pattinson also plays the adult Prescott, whose roots are submerged in unhappiness, which he compensates for through the brutal imposition of power. Overall, this movie is an enigmatic piece showcasing the dark, moody layers of a would-be fascist’s childhood. Crobet won Best Debut Film and Best Director at the Venice International Film Festival.

11

The Lost City of Z (2016)

Henry Costin

James Gray’s The Lost City of Z reflects the real-life events surrounding the British explorer Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam), who journeyed to Brazil to search for an ancient city in the Amazon. Pattinson plays Fawcett’s best friend, Corporal Henry Costin, and it is a treat to watch him ᴀssume the role of an obsessive explorer.

However, it is Hunnam who belts out a masterful performance as Fawcett, instilling the role with charm. The film treats the subject matter with tact and is sH๏τ beautifully. In the movie, Pattinson complements Hunnam’s presence in an understated yet essential way, as audiences are bound to observe the real-life character’s every move closely. The film has a high 87% Rotten Tomatoes score and was named in several critics’ year-end awards lists.

10

The Rover (2014)

Reynolds

David Michôd’s 2014 dystopian Western drama, The Rover, takes place ten years after a global economic collapse, in which Pattinson slips into the shoes of Reynolds, a naive southern American youngster, who has had a protected existence throughout his life, which withers his sense of independence before bloom, making him dependent on others for survival.

The movie is thematically and visually reminiscent of the Mad Max franchise, as stated by director Quentin Tarantino, who describes the film as a “mesmerizing, visionary achievement.” Guy Pearce’s violent and bitter rendition of Sam is exceptional, but it’s Pattinson, with his character-enhancing behavioral tics and his earnest portrayal of Reynolds, that takes the audience by surprise.

9

The King (2019)

The Dauphin

While The King is superb, Pattinson got blasted for his accent. Based on Shakespeare’s Henriad, The King is another Michôd undertaking, with an ensemble cast led by Timothée Chalamet (Henry V), along with Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Sean Harris, and Robert Pattinson in supporting roles. Pattinson plays Louis, the Dauphin of France, with chaotic flair, replete with an over-the-top accent, which is both hilarious and impressive at the same time.

As a historical epic, The King is beautifully sH๏τ with a plethora of strong performances, battle scenes, and historical backdrops that are gripping and phenomenal. Chalamet does well as King Henry, imbuing the role with a duality that is part boyish, part mature. The film received mixed reviews, but there was some confusion as this was based on the Shakespearean adaptation and was not based on historical reality.

8

High Life (2018)

Monte

Sporting a non-linear narrative that dabbles in sci-fi horror, Claire Denis’ English-language debut, High Life, revolves around a group of criminals sent on a space mission that includes traveling towards a black hole and taking part in experiments. Pattinson plays Monte, a convict-turned-astronaut, while Binoche dons the robes of the twisted Dr. Dibs — their combined efforts, coupled with arresting visuals and a hypnotic narrative grace, elevates the Robert Pattinson movie to a dark, complex study of humankind at the brink of apocalypse.

It’s also interesting to note that the film owes much to Tarkovsky’s Solaris and Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey in terms of its haunting atmosphere and kaleidoscopic color palette. It was a festival darling but mostly went unseen at theaters, despite a very high 82% fresh Rotten Tomatoes score, which praised the movie for its challenging and rewarding science fiction storyline.

7

Tenet (2020)

Neil

Christopher Nolan’s Tenet features a star-studded cast, including John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, and Kenneth Branagh. The plot centers on a CIA agent (Washington), who teams up with Neil (Robert Pattinson) in order to manipulate the flow of time to prevent a historically catastrophic event from occurring.

Tenet is visually grandiose in sweep and scale, with a convoluted plot that resembles an almost-unsolvable puzzle — but the movie is held together due to its strong performances. Pattinson plays Neil with depth, subtlety, and wit, and the film’s ambitious action sequences are Nolan at his best. However, Tenet lacks a relatable emotional core, leaving room for a certain sense of alienation. While not matching up to other Nolan movies, it remains an interesting watch with a great cast.

6

The Devil All The Time (2020)

Preston Teagardin

Netflix’s The Devil All the Time is dark, gritty, and harrowing, with compelling performances by a majority of the cast, including Tom Holland, Harry Melling, Bill Skarsgård, Riley Keough, Jason Clarke, Sebastian Stan, Haley Bennett, Eliza Scanlen, with Mia Wasikowska, and of course, Pattinson. While Tom Holland appears much later in the film, his portrayal of the troubled Arvin is both sympathetic and haunting all at once, mapping the arc of his descent into violence with terrific conviction.

Pattinson plays Reverend Preston with charismatic sleaze, bringing the character’s corrupt and rotten core to the surface in an exuberantly campy fashion. In essence, The Devil All the Time dives into the murky underbelly of violence and religion in the countryside, painting a noir-addled vignette that could potentially come off as discomfortingly brutal for some viewers.

5

Good Time (2017)

Constantine “Connie” Nikas

The Safdie brothers’ 2017 crime thriller Good Time stars Pattinson as small-time bank robber Connie, who attempts to free his differently-abled brother (Benny Safdie) from police custody. A distinctive crime drama with genuine stakes and thrills, Good Time commands the audience’s attention with visceral intensity, scores by Tangerine Dream, and a career-defining performance by Pattinson.

Good Time holds up a mirror, reflecting the uncomfortable truths that plague modern-day America, making it an essential watch. While there are hints of probable character redemption, the narrative leaves several thorny questions behind even after the film ends. While flying under the radar of most movie fans, Good Time received almost universal acclaim, with a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, and also earned a Cannes Film Festival honor for its soundtrack.