On August 21st, Fathom Events, an entertainment company known for broadcasting live events to movie theaters, announced the “Spotlight Series”. The new series will screen modern classics, like blockbusters and fan-favorite films, to theaters all across the country, with the first film release event being “Twilight” for its 10th anniversary. When I read this news, I was jumping and dancing for joy, even though it was almost 2 am and I was in the middle of doing homework. I bought my ticket not 10 minutes later, and because of that, I ended up being the first person in Atlanta to buy a ticket to the event. I tried to bottle my excitement as I waited 2 months for October 23rd, the day of my screening. During the weeks leading up to it, the various Twilight soundtracks became the most listened to albums on my phone, I bought a Twilight shirt, and the Georgia weather became so rainy and cold that it felt like I was actually living in Forks, Washington.

On the day of the screening, my anticipation was through the roof. Since the screening was a part of an “event”, it was only shown in popular Atlanta movie theaters, and we even got special posters for attending. As soon as the movie started, I felt like I was teleported back to 2009 when I saw Twilight at home for the first time. I went to the screening with one of my friends that used to obsess with me over Twilight in 8th and 9th grade, and we laughed at every cringey moment, cried during the sad parts, and winced at the fight scene towards the end of the movie. The entire audience also lost its collective mind when Edward Cullen’s skin sparkled onscreen for the first time. The entire movie-going experience was so surreal, and it was even amplified by the fact that we sat in reclining seats in the second row closest to the screen. Yes, my neck was broken by the time I left theater, but it was all worth it because it felt like I was actually inside the movie. The greenery of the sets, the grey and blue color palettes used throughout the film, and the angsty soundtrack struck me with a feeling of nostalgia I don’t think I’ll ever forget.

Believe it or not, Twilight was a huge part of my childhood. While other kids were reading Harry Potter and falling in love with the Wizarding World, I spent my time advocating for #TeamEdward. I read all the books, novellas, and official movie companions, and I even amassed a decently sized collection of Twilight merch that I still have to this day. I owe Twilight a lot. It piqued my interest in film at a young age, with things like the composed score, set design, and (primitive) visual effects standing out to me. My perception of filmmaking changed as a result, and has led me to study film much more closely. I know this all sounds silly considering that Twilight is not the most critically acclaimed film series (an understatement), but its still iconic and has entertained and inspired millions of fans around the world like me.

You can dislike Twilight all you want, but you can’t deny it’s significance and influence on the modern film industry. It led to the rise of the female lead young adult book to film adaptation period of Hollywood, with series like the Hunger Games and Divergent being produced as a result. This was all due to Twililght’s unexpected success. Its opening weekend gross was the highest ever for a female director, beating a record last broken in the late 1990’s. The soundtrack also debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200, and was even nominated for 2 Grammy Awards. Not to mention, the series went on to release 4 more movies and gross over $3.3 billion total in the box office plus hundreds of millions more in home video sales. Overall, Twilight’s legacy lives on, and the 10th anniversary is just one more landmark the saga has under its belt. So, congratulations Twilight. I’ll be looking forward to not only 10 more years, but for the rest of forever.