20 Movies like 'Twilight' to Watch When You're Missing Edward and Bella
Hold on tight, Spider Monkey.
Vampires have always been hot. It's something about the tragic yet romantic idea of eternal life mixed with a thirst for blood that just has to be taken from the inner wrist or side of the neck. And if that's the main reason you were drawn to the Twilight movies, there are plenty of vampire movies you can watch to give you that same deadly thrill. That said, real fans know that Twilight is much more than a vampire movie. It's a story of forbidden love, high school angst, and found family. Needless to say, just looking for more vampire movies isn't going to satiate your hunger for movies like Twilight. But that's where I come in!
As a self-proclaimed Twilight expert and YA movie junkie, I feel uniquely qualified to help guide you towards more movies like Twilight. I'm not just talking plot similarities either—I'm talking vibes. Twilight wasn't a big hit because of its plot or star-studded cast the saga attracted for the sequels (though casting Taylor Swift in Twilight would have probably done the trick). It was a hit because Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson had undeniable chemistry and because it keyed into the adolescent anxiety to belong. So, while there may not be many other teen vampire romance movies, there are at least 20 movies like Twilight out there, and I rounded up all the best to add to your watchlist below.
Beautiful Creatures
Beautiful Creatures is probably the most Twilight-like movie out there. Like Twilight, the film follows an undeniable romance between a mere mortal and a supernatural being, but unlike Twilight, the supernatural being is a witch. There are, of course, other differences (the magical Duchannes family is certainly not as welcoming as the Cullens), but the main themes are all there.
Red Riding Hood
If you get major Twilight vibes from Red Riding Hood, it's likely because director Catherine Hardwicke, who didn't return for New Moon, made this Amanda Seyfried-starring supernatural romance instead. The movie has all the main ingredients that made Twilight so fun, including a supernatural mystery, forbidden love, moody visuals, and, of course, very hot actors.
Romeo + Juliet
At its core, Twilight is a Romeo and Juliet story. True, the Cullens and the Swans don't have any kind of long-standing blood feud, but vampires and humans are about as opposite as it gets. If you need a forbidden love fix, go straight to the source with Baz Luhrman's Romeo + Juliet.
Speak
Speak is a heartbreaking movie about a teenage girl who becomes an outcast after being assaulted at her first high school party, so the plot is not like Twilight at all except for the fact that it stars Kristen Stewart. But, if you loved Twilight because of her performance, Speak is a must see.
Divergent
You might think that Divergent doesn't have much in common with Twilight other than the fact that both are based on best-selling YA novels about young girls, but they actually share a similar vibe, specifically when it comes to themes of independence, belonging, and sexual awakening.
Warm Bodies
If you've ever watched Twilight and thought, "You know what would make this even better? Zombies," then Warm Bodies is the movie for you. Love between a human and supernatural creature? Check. Killer instinct tamed by true love? Check.
Before I Fall
Take the romance away from Twilight and you're left with a coming-of-age story about a teenage girl struggling to figure out her place in a supernatural world. Before I Fall gets at similar themes, as the film's heroine, Samantha (Zoey Deutch), is stuck in a time loop reliving the last day of her life.
The Covenant
Horny for Edward Cullen? Try The Covenant, a supernatural teen movie that features not one, not two, but five hot men with superhuman powers (they're witches). The cast includes Chace Crawford, Taylor Kitsch, and Sebastian Stan, so you know it's a seriously fun watch.
Tuck Everlasting
A teenage girl doesn't fit in at home and runs into the woods, where she meets a family of immortals and falls in love with their teenage son. Sound familiar?
Vampire Academy
Fans who enjoyed the Twilight series' brief dips into vampire politics and mythology would love Vampire Academy, which is basically about a high school for vampires and the two BFFs, Lissa (Lucy Fry) and Rose (Zoey Deutch), who get caught up in a deadly power struggle.
Fright Night
The vampire in Fright Night is, unfortunately, not a broody, piano-playing romantic teenager, but he does look like Colin Farrell. So there's that. Don't worry, you'll still get your teen romance fix thanks to a charming Anton Yelchin.
After
After takes the good girl falls for bad boy trope and runs with it, creating a volatile relationship not unlike Bella and Edward's. I like to describe the film as Twilight without the vampires and with sex.
Water for Elephants
Still swooning over Twilight-era Robert Pattinson? I gotchu. In Water for Elephants, made right in the middle of the Twilight saga, Pattinson plays Jacob, a man who signs on to work with the best circus of the 1930s, where he falls in love with the ringmaster's wife (Reese Witherspoon).
Every Day
Think dating a vampire in high school is hard? Try dating a teenage spirit who wakes up in a different body every single day. As Rhiannon (Angourie Rice) finds out in Every Day, it ain't easy.
The Adjustment Bureau
No, The Adjustment Bureau isn't a high school romance, and, no, it doesn't have anything to do with vampires. But what it lacks in YA themes, it makes up for in forbidden love. The movie is about a man, David (Matt Damon), whose chance encounter with a woman (Emily Blunt) goes against his fate.
The School for Good and Evil
The School of Good and Evil is another YA movie that places teenage girls in supernatural settings, but unlike Bella, whose story mostly revolves around her relationship with Edward, protagonists Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie) have a different priority: their friendship.
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
Like Twilight, Cirque du Freak is about a small-town teenager whose life is forever changed when he meets an immortal vampire, but that's pretty much where any similarities between the teen romance and this supernatural comedy end.
Everything, Everything
If you only loved Twilight for the romance, you don't want to miss this movie about a teenage girl who has never left her home due to an illness. She has only her mother and home nurse for company until a boy moves in next door who sparks her curiosity and makes her rethink everything she's ever known.
Underworld
The war between Team Jacob and Team Edward is but a blip when compared to the centuries long feud between Lychans (aka werewolves) and vampires in Underworld. If you wanted more action out of the Twilight saga, specifically when it comes to interspecies fights, then this is the movie you're going to want to see.
Fifty Shades of Grey
Fifty Shades of Grey famously began as a work of Twilight fan fiction, so it would be unprofessional of me to leave the big-screen adaptation off this list. That said, other than the clumsy heroine and the rich man with adopted siblings and killer soundtracks, Fifty Shades and Twilight don't have all too much in common, but maybe that's okay.
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