Every Robert Pattinson Movie Performance, Ranked
Hold on tight, spider monkey. We're diving deep into the cheeky Brit's fascinating and chaotic filmography.
Few actors have had a career trajectory as fascinating as Robert Pattinson's. He skyrocketed into superstardom early as a moody, sparkling teen heartthrob but seemed to resent being beloved as an object of lust rather than for his merits as an actor. Following Twilight, Pattinson retreated from the spotlight and spent the next few years establishing himself as one of our most interesting and talented young thespians by delivering critically acclaimed films that were celebrated by cinephiles but ignored by the masses.
Now, for the first time in a decade, Pattinson is the face of a major franchise again with the titular role in The Batman. Where does Pattinson's take on the world's greatest detective land in his filmography as a whole? To answer that question, you must first answer another: What makes a truly great Pattinson performance?
It's a surprisingly difficult question to answer, as the cheeky Brit delights in taking on unexpected roles that are against type (he seems to have a soft spot for scumbags and losers). Complicating matters is the fact that the quality of Pattinson's performances are often mismatched with the overall quality of the films they're in, with some of his best work appearing in otherwise mediocre titles, and, on more than a few occasions, not until their last act.
With all of that in mind, here is our definitive ranking of every Pattinson performance, which we're sure absolutely nobody will have any issues with.
Note: Sword of Xanten and The Haunted Airman (both made-for-TV movies) were not available to rent or stream at the time of writing, so they are not included below.
Honorable mention: Vanity Fair (2004)
Before you watch the trailer and think, “Oh, a stunning period piece starring Reese Witherspoon AND Robert Pattinson — how fun,” let me save you the trouble of hunting down this decidedly SEO-unfriendly title and say the only thing this role did for Pattinson was get him a pity audition for Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. You can watch the entirety of Vanity Fair, which follows Becky Sharp, a poor orphan who attempts to marry higher up the ladder of England’s high society in the early 1800s, without catching a single glimpse of our Cedric-to-be. In what was only his second role ever, Pattinson played the grownup version of Becky’s estranged son in an alternate ending to the film that now exists only as a deleted scene on the DVD version (and in this grainy YouTube clip). The pair (who would later play lovers in Water for Elephants) only get one brooding exchange that hints at the very young Pattinson’s sublime scowling abilities, but apparently that was all it took to set him on a path to bigger and more magical things. So, shoutout Vanity Fair for setting our boy on the right path, but you don’t need to give this one a watch. —Danica Creahan
Rent it on Prime Video.
28. Remember Me (2010)
Remember Me has the distinct honor of being both the worst movie in Pattinson's filmography and his worst performance. Since the focus of this list is on Pattinson as an actor, I will resist diving into how impressively terrible this movie is (including what has to be the most terrible twist ending in cinematic history) and focus on his performance. Pattinson plays Tyler, a twentysomething misanthrope who feels like he was written by a think tank of teens who exclusively shopped at Hot Topic in the early aughts and loved Catcher in the Rye despite completely misunderstanding it.
Tyler is complicated. He smokes lobbies and doesn't respect authority because they just don't get him, man. Of course, all of that changes when he meets Ally (Emilie de Ravin), who teaches him to appreciate life or something like that. It doesn't really matter. What does matter is that this movie was made right in the middle of Pattinson's Twilight run and feels like him trying to escape his sexy teen heartthrob image by showing he is a serious actor. The problem is that this was the worst possible role to take on to show off any acting ability and, instead, made it seem like Pattinson really was just a pretty face with no substance. Thankfully, there was nowhere to go but up from here for Pattinson, and Remember Me became a movie the world was more than happy to forget. —Blake Harper
Watch it on YouTube for free.
27. Life (2015)
Sadly, being titled Life does not guarantee liveliness in a movie. While I wish I could endorse Pattinson at his most sober and stone-faced, his performance as Dennis Stock, the photographer responsible for taking the photos that come to mind when you think of James Dean, is simply forgettable — an outlier for Pattinson, who is often tasked with awakening otherwise dull movies through pure force.
But Life's tediousness goes beyond forgettable and into the frustrating. Here you are, watching one of the most lackluster movies you could ever throw on, and there's a solution to your plight right before your eyes: have Pattinson switch roles with the equally flat Dane DeHann and play James Dean! While I don't think a swap could have totally saved the film, it's our loss not to see Pattinson bring to life an iconic actor he must feel some bit of kinship with — but hey, maybe he just wanted to be the photographer for once. —Rachel Dunkel
Watch it on Peacock for free.
26. The Bad Mother's Handbook (2007)
A shaggy-haired Robert Pattinson helps a pregnant teen handle her difficult mother and uncertain future in this forgotten made-for-TV deep cut, which is probably best kept locked away in a vault for anyone who isn't an R-Patz completist. If you thought his “moody” performance in any of the Twilight films, specifically New Moon, fell as far on the awkward spectrum as Pattinson could possibly (and unintentionally) go, think again.
For some odd reason, Pattinson’s Daniel is always fumbling and stuttering in a way that does not convince you he is an innocent gangly teen, but rather that no one ever gave him a copy of the script. And why would they, considering how thin this role is? His few shining moments highlighted in the film’s trailer encapsulate basically all of his screen time. Despite being packaged as a teen pregnancy rom-com, The Bad Mother’s Handbook is, well, definitely not that. Bare minimum points for Pattinson because he isn’t really any worse than anyone else, so maybe there was something going on behind the scenes to cause everyone, including the usually great Catherine Tate, to also totally tank this movie. —Danica Creahan
Watch it on Prime Video.
25. Little Ashes (2008)
Robert Pattinson feels like an...odd choice to play Salvador Dali, and unfortunately he did not run with the opportunity, failing to live up to Dali's passion, creativity, and liveliness. Opposite Javier Beltrán playing Spanish poet Frederico García Lorca, a fairly good performance of wide-eyed curiosity, romance, and coming of age, Pattinson feels flat with flashes of cartoonishness that are not compelling.
The romantic scenes between the two are where they're both at their best, and I only wish the film felt more centered on its most important relationship, perhaps giving both actors, but especially Pattinson, an opportunity to dig deeper. It's especially a shame considering that could have been a really fascinating story, so consider this my petition for Hollywood to get moving on a new Dali/Lorca queer romance film STAT. —Rachel Dunkel
Rent it on Prime Video.
24. How to Be (2008)
If I were Rob's live-in lifestyle coach at the start of his acting career, I might have advised him to run as far as possible from this screwball comedy. ("You'll stay booked and busy with Twilight, so you don't need this," I'd have told him, emerging from the shadows of his bedroom at his parent's house.) How to Be was the movie I was most excited to watch for this ranking, and it was also the title I was most let down by.
On paper, it has everything going for it: Pattinson as an adrift twentysomething who can't seem to land on his feet, a fun premise involving hiring a Canadian self-help guru to learn "how to be," and a comedic register that we don't see the serious dramatic actor tapping into enough of these days. But the reality is that this script is unsalvageable, and it's impossible to care about the fate of a character who is wholly defined by their bumbling incompetence — even, unfortunately, when that character is played by the incredibly charming and naturally funny Pattinson. There are so many versions of this movie that could have been infinitely better and propelled it to a top spot on this list. But now that I've seen the potential, I am determined to get Pattinson cast in a proper "mumblecore"-style film from Andrew Bujalski or Joe Swanberg in my lifetime. —Colin Gorenstein
Rent it on Prime Video.
23. The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
Every day I wake up, walk outside, and scream, "stream the New Moon soundtrack!" in hopes that even one soul will join me in listening to "Possibility." With that in mind, it pains me that the second Twilight film features Pattinson's least effective performance as Edward Cullen — a psychopathic old vampire who watches a high schooler sleep, has marble-cold skin, loves opera, and somehow stirs in me an eternal horniness I will never quite understand.
Granted, he's not tasked with much in the sequel, whose plot is dependent on his absence. But I can't say he makes the most of the scenes he is in. Oh, how I long for him to give us literally anything as he's standing before the Volturi in his crimson velvet robes! But ultimately, it's not New Moon Edward, but the memory of Edward in the first Twilight film — you heard me, FILM — that allows me to understand why Bella misses this weirdo so much while he's away. To my mind, Pattinson's subpar performance contributes to New Moon's charm, which bottled the best things about 2009 for me to enjoy on a loop forever — Taylor Lautner's über-white teeth, three-quarter sleeve Henley shirts, Lykke Li, and Pattinson phoning it in a bit, perhaps in reaction to becoming an overnight sensation, instant heartthrob, and one of the most talked-about young actors in Hollywood. —Rachel Dunkel
Watch it on PlutoTV for free.
22. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (2012)
Look, it's not the worst film in the Twilight Saga, but after Bella is vampified (vampirified?), there's just something missing between her and Edward, and I blame Rob. Pair this sudden loss of chemistry with his total lack of ability to pretend the scary toddler doll (or whichever young actor they had playing his half-human-half-vampire child that day) was related to him at all, and you get one of Rob’s worst performances as Edward Cullen.
I think by this point in the series, he'd really mastered the sullen 104-year-old vampire bit, so when it came time to play a newlywed who just got their happily ever after PLUS an unexpected bonus baby, he just couldn’t snap out of it. There are tons of happy moments in the film where he’s still giving angsty teen (come on, Rob, you’re a father now). Breaking Dawn – Part 2 boasts the largest, most star-studded cast of the entire Twilight Saga, and despite being the film’s leading man, sometimes he really fades into the background. It’s tough to compete against a rapidly growing hybrid human baby and Rami Malek, I guess. —Danica Creahan
Watch it on PlutoTV for free.
21. Waiting for the Barbarians (2019)
Ultimately, I could not wait for the barbarians and fell fast asleep 45 minutes into this film. Waiting for the Barbarians is a two-hour-long slog through an unspecified 19th century empire featuring Johnny Depp with twee sunglasses and functions as a flimsy anti-colonialism allegory. This is all to say that it was a welcome relief when I finally did wake up to see Rob gracing my screen for the latter part of the movie (as he has been known to do in many others on this list, including The King and The Devil All The Time).
My excitement quickly turned to disappointment when I realized he was not giving us much as Depp's right-hand officer. A sneer here. A villainous laugh there. Technically, Pattinson delivers on the assignment with a solid, menacing performance that makes me say "range king." But I am still left wondering what compels a great like Pattinson to sign on for a seemingly thin supporting role like this one, when I have to imagine that, by the late 2010s, he was at a comfortable enough place in his career to be able to freely say no to things. The only possible answer I can come up with — and I would not fault him for it — is that he simply wanted to work with Mark Rylance. —Colin Gorenstein
Watch it on Hulu.
20. The Lost City of Z (2016)
When I saw The Lost City of Z in theaters, it was only because my father had lured me there with the promise of a rare post-Twilight Pattinson sighting. I was deeply disappointed then, and upon rewatch, time does not heal all wounds. The film tells the true story of British explorer Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam, The Gentlemen), who repeatedly journeys into the Amazon in search of the mysterious city of Z (or Zed) with his stoic aide-de-camp, Henry Costin (Pattinson) and later his son, Jack (a pre-Spiderman Tom Holland).
Its premise and cast hint at an Indiana Jones–esque adventure film, and maybe it was, but The Lost City of Z is so dimly lit and filled with characters who mumble and whisper or hardly speak at all that I suppose we will never really know. Pattinson spends practically all his screen time buried under a big beard and glasses, often dappled in the shadows of the trees or a wide-brimmed hat. You could slot in any other actor at the back of whichever raft his fellow travel companions are clinging to on that particular day, and you likely wouldn’t miss him. Given that Costin is just an average man driven to extraordinary lengths by Percy, perhaps we can give Pattinson some points for convincingly portraying just a guy in a career otherwise jam-packed with characters Pattinson himself has lovingly referred to as “freaks,” but this is hardly a tour de force. —Danica Creahan
Watch it on Prime Video.
19. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
I used to think Eclipse was the best of all the Twilight movies, but turns out that opinion was largely influenced by my perception of Pattinson having finally found his groove in the role of Edward Cullen, and much less to do with the plot (or lack thereof). Pattinson doesn’t get much time to even be mediocre in New Moon, but the drop-off in quality is significant enough that when he returns in Eclipse, there's a sigh of relief. We even get to finally see some playfulness in the role. Edward Cullen: playful (can you believe that?) Not that the strict doom and gloom doesn’t work in the first Twilight movie, but by the third installment I can't help thinking please, Rob, give us a smile, give us something.
Eclipse is famously both jam-packed with action and also has enough dead space for some actual character exploration (some of which we maybe didn’t need — *cough cough* Jasper). Edward is back and trying to coax his freshly 18-year-old girlfriend into marrying him because, duh, he’s “old school.” Jacob is mad at Bella for not choosing him over the guy she was pining for throughout their entire friendship and (big shocker!) some new vampires are trying to kill her. Three movies in and I feel like it finally clicks with Pattinson in both the role and in his chemistry with (my forever celebrity crush and Rob’s actual girlfriend at the time) Kristen Stewart. Looking at the four films following the first Twilight, because due to budget and direction they feel very different, Eclipse Edward and Breaking Dawn - Part 1 Edward are nearly tied for Pattinson’s best performance. Since Breaking Dawn Part -1 iconically features Honeymoon Edward, AKA Pattinson at his hottest, his performance in Eclipse simply cannot compete. —Danica Creahan
Watch it on PlutoTV for free.
18. The Childhood of a Leader (2015)
Set at the tail end of World War I, The Childhood of a Leader is true to its name, in that we watch an unnamed boy (Tom Sweet) slowly embrace the dark and cruel workings of his mind. It's a coming-of-age story that plays out like a horror movie and among the adults witnessing the boy's increasingly dangerous and unruly behavior is Charles (Pattison), a friend of the boy's father.
It's not a bad performance from Pattinson by any means; in fact, he manages to sprinkle in a bit of a charm onto his scenes that remind you how good he can be in the right role. And the film itself is actually quite good as it examines the question of nature vs. nurture in the case of someone who eventually becomes a monster. The problem is that Pattinson is not given much to do as Charles and we don't get enough time with the character to get a sense of who he is beneath the surface. Charles is not very active in the film and the only real importance he has is not revealed until the end but is more of a plot point than character development. Compared to his other, more memorable roles, this is a Pattinson performance that fails to stand out in any meaningful way. —Blake Harper
Rent it on Prime Video.
17. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (2011)
If you don't immediately know what happens in every Twilight movie, this is the one with the wedding and the baby. At this point, you can sense that Pattinson is ready to move on to the post-Twilight phase of his career and there are certainly scenes where he seems to be phoning it in. But to Pattinson's credit he still finds some humanity in his portrayal of the inhuman Edward four movies in. He is torn between his love for Bella (Kristen Stewart) and his fear of what bringing her into his vampiric life will look like and Pattinson plays those contradicting emotions perfectly.
The long-awaited wedding ceremony is surprisingly sweet, as both Pattinson and Stewart effectively convey the euphoria of these two people who want nothing more than to be together. Edward's rare display of unbridled happiness is later matched by his despondence when he learns of Bella's pregnancy, which then turns into total fear when she gives birth to their half-human, half-vampire spawn. Is it the best performance of Pattinson's career? Not by a long shot (I wouldn't even say it's his best Twilight performance) but it's also far from his worst, as Pattinson remains a compelling onscreen presence even when he is forced to utter some truly laughable dialogue. —Blake Harper
Watch it on PlutoTV for free.
16. Queen of the Desert (2015)
The late Roger Ebert once said of Werner Herzog that "even his failures are spectacular." But Queen of the Desert, which was written and directed by Herzog, proves to be the exception to this rule because while the film is certainly a failure, it's hard to imagine anyone describing it as spectacular (even Ebert's website hated it).
What is supposed to be an epic about the life of real-life British explorer Gertrude Bell (Nicole Kidman) instead turns out to be a dull, paint-by-numbers biopic that is devoid of any passion or insight. The only time the movie becomes even slightly interesting is when Bell meets T.E. Lawrence (Robert Pattinson), the "real" Lawrence of Arabia, as the two have a mischievous chemistry that is missing from the rest of the 128-minute runtime. Pattinson's performance is not enough to save Queen of the Desert by any stretch but it at least goes from an unwatchable slog to a slightly intriguing viewing experience when he shows up. —Blake Harper
Rent it on Prime Video.
15. Maps to the Stars (2014)
I'm delighted to share that we've arrived at the "That was fine!" tier of this ranking. In the grand scheme of Pattinson's career, this role as Jerome Fontana in Maps to the Stars is a strange one. On one hand, it makes perfect sense Pattinson would want to sign on for this movie because he had already worked with David Cronenberg on Cosmopolis (in another limo, no less) and was beginning to steer his career in the direction of more arthouse, auteur-y films. On the other, not since Twilight has a movie so blatantly objectified Hot Rob, who primarily offers the film its steamy revenge triangle between Mia Wasikowska and Julianne Moore's characters.
Pattinson steps in to Maps to the Stars as the strapping chauffeur with not-so-secret ambitions of becoming a Hollywood screenwriter himself. One could argue that Pattinson is bringing more than just his good looks to the table and that, actually, the success of this role hinges on our belief that he might have a hidden sinister agenda. But I'd like to believe that's giving a bit too much credit. Not unlike Twilight, the central tension Pattinson's character brings to the story is whether he will sleep with the meek-seeming new girl in town (only this time she turns out to be something...a bit different). —Colin Gorenstein
Rent it on Prime Video.
14. Twilight (2008)
As a pale, Volvo-driving vegetarian with chapped lips attending a Seattle-area high school in the late aughts, I regret to share that Edward Cullen probably did resonate with me on a subconscious level. However, revisiting this Pattinson performance in 2022, the thing I am most struck by is how the failures of Twilight's writing have continued to (say it with me) eclipse his perfectly decent work at its center. This is especially true for the first installment of the series, where you can see real effort being put forth to animate the wooden words on the page. One of my favorites being: “So the lion fell in love with the lamb,” a hilariously stilted passage which Meyer apparently fought tooth and nail to keep in the film.
Could anyone have given a convincing line read of this? Or what about “Hold on tight, spider monkey"? (The answer is a resounding no.) And, while I am not typically one to reward points for going method, I do appreciate that Pattinson uprooted his life and moved to Portland (which I want to be clear is not the same thing as Seattle) to be among nature and learn to play baseball for this role. Let's all agree that this is both the best of the Twilight movies and the best of the Robert Pattinson Twilight performances and call it a day. —Colin Gorenstein
Watch it on PlutoTV for free.
13. Cosmopolis (2012)
Full transparency: Among all of the R-Patz films that we discussed during the ranking process, Cosmopolis was by far the most divisive. While some felt it was one of the worst performances of Pattinson's career, others (me) feel it's firmly in the top tier of his filmography. But even as a staunch defender, I can understand why some people think this is one of Pattinson's lesser roles.
Even by Cronenberg standards, this is a strange film and the movie's focus is entirely on Pattinson, who plays Eric Packer, a billionaire who is in danger of losing his fortune, his sanity, and his life all in the same day. Pattinson is given the difficult task of slowly unmasking the aloof exterior of Packer to reveal his internal spiral without going over-the-top. And, in my opinion, he nails the high-wire act with astounding grace, marking the first time Pattinson gave us a glimpse into his limitless range as an actor. —Blake Harper
Watch it on Prime Video.
12. Bel Ami (2012)
If you were disappointed by the Vanity Fair tease, this is a period piece with plenty of Pattinson screen time. Bel Ami is about expert manipulator and penniless pretty boy Georges Duroy, a former soldier who sets out to sleep his way to the top of society in 1880s Paris. The film is filled with fun costumes, beautiful people, and steamy drama. Pattinson plays the aggressively amoral Duroy to a level of charm where even at his most unlikeable, you still want to root for him just a little.
Early on in the film, while he’s still very poor but already cheating upwards with a wealthy woman, I felt myself actually believing his affections and feelings as he adorned his small shack with decor in anticipation of his upcoming affair. And when he gets chewed out for not being able to write his own column after relying on another married woman as a ghostwriter, again, I felt true pity. Duroy is an evil sad sack who manages to seduce nearly everyone, both onscreen and off. It’s not at all surprising to watch Pattinson play an angry and selfish character extremely well, but it is fun to watch him play one while frequently naked — because, in case you needed another reason to check out Bel Ami, it features a LOT of nudity. —Danica Creahan
Watch it on Prime Video.
11. The Rover (2014)
In this dystopian drama, Pattinson plays Rey, who is the least essential member of a gang of outlaws led by his older brother Henry (Scoot McNairy). After a robbery goes awry, Henry and the others leave Rey for dead despite the fact that he is very much alive. Now determined to get revenge on his brother for his perceived betrayal, Rey ends up crossing paths with Eric (Guy Pearce), who is also trying to track down Henry and his fellow ruffians for stealing his car.
What we quickly learn is that Rey is a man who was blessed with neither street smarts nor book smarts and he ends up as Eric's barely-tolerated travel companion on the hunt for the trio that wronged them. Ultimately, Rey is someone who is entirely ill-equipped for post-apocalyptic living and everyone he encounters regards him with either pity or outright disdain. But Pattinson never loses sight of the humanity in Rey and the more time Eric and the viewer spend with him, the more you begin to understand the deep pain caused by his brother abandoning him. —Blake Harper
Watch it on Showtime.
10. Water for Elephants (2011)
Everyone has a few just-OK movies that they consider to be perfect, and Water for Elephants is one of mine. It falls into one of the greatest genres ever conceived — movies that use trains as a metaphor for class — and you bet our boy Rob, playing young veterinary student Jacob whose parents tragically die during the Great Depression leaving him without a penny to his name, hops on the back of that circus train with his tender heart set on a woman toward the front. It's absolutely fascinating to watch Pattinson play off of Reese Witherspoon as Marlena, the wife of the circus's violent ringmaster (Christoph Waltz) that Jacob falls in love with.
Their chemistry is as lively as the one Pattinson has with his elephant costar, and although that sounds like a slight, it's actually a high compliment — tell me there isn't energy and understanding crackling between Jacob and Rosie the elephant and all I will hear are lies. Although the film itself isn't one of the best in his canon, it's a standout considering it's one of the most traditional "leading man" roles he's accepted, and one that I'm thankful he took. Pulling Water for Elephants off with success proves that he could have easily gone down the road of being a romantic lead and been the best in the game at it. He just keeps choosing not to. —Rachel Dunkel
Watch it on Hulu.
9. The King (2019)
It's a testament to Pattinson's greatness that his performance in The King is so far up on this list, considering the rest of the movie was designed in a lab to put me to sleep. And not a little cat nap. I'm talking full REM cycles. After snoozing for a good hour fifteen, it's a true joy to squint your eyes open to behold Pattinson onscreen, clad in full armor and frilly wrist cuffs, perched upon a throne and totally pulling off a blonde lob.
As The Dauphin (I'm like...90% sure that means he's a French prince) Pattinson brings the hallmarks of monarchy — absurdity and intimidation — in equal measure, ultimately delivering far and away the best performance of the film, and one of the most memorable of his career. Equipped with some truly vulgar hand gestures and a near-perfect French accent, Pattinson makes his case as not only a lifejacket for any film that's sprung a leak, but as one of the best character actors of his time. —Rachel Dunkel
Watch it on Netflix.
8. The Devil All the Time (2020)
Spoiler alert for The Devil All the Time
Nowhere is the devil more present than in the first hour of this straight-to-streaming Netflix film, which features about 20 false starts with largely inconsequential characters, before finally finding its footing. That footing comes when (can you guess?) Robert Pattinson arrives on the scene with his wild, high-pitched Southern accent as Preston Teagardin, a despicable pastor who grooms and gaslights underaged congregants at his church while masquerading as a holy vessel.
One of these congregants is Lenora (Eliza Scanlan), the stepsister of Arvin (Tom Holland) who sets out to kill this dashing but rotten-to-the-core predator once he finally puts the pieces together. For justice's sake, you root for the demise of Teagardin, whose heinous acts have resulted in Lenora's eventual suicide. For entertainment's sake, you pray this fully realized character will stick around a bit longer to liven up an otherwise drowsy, meandering gothic. —Colin Gorenstein
Watch it on Netflix.
7. The Batman (2022)
If Batman is usually a cool customer, Pattinson's latest rendition is the coldest, offering glimpses of humanity mainly through a clenched jaw (relatable). But this is not to say that his take on Bruce Wayne, the young billionaire whose familial money founded and ultimately corrupted Gotham City, is not memorable or differentiated from the swath of gritty Batmen we've been exposed to in fairly recent memory. The script of The Batman, written by director Matt Reeves and Peter Craig (The Town), shows us a version of Batman who is the most united in his double identity, scrapping Bruce Wayne's usual billionaire playboy alter-ego in favor of a man who's largely the same in and out of the Batsuit.
There's no semblance of a 1980s businessman here. It's 2022. Our billionaires are Internet-savvy, carry backpacks, and have a penchant for base jumping, though they may not always stick the landing. I always want more of what Pattinson's giving us, but as an actor who usually stands out, it's admirable that he takes a bit of a step back to greater serve the movie, which is more of a civil study than a deep-dive on any one character. But what an oddity and an inevitability to see our first millennial Batman — clad in black tees and athleisure rather than a suit, worried about his city ending up underwater faster than he ever expected, developing more of a class consciousness by revisiting the history of his wealthy, white family and not liking what he sees. Pattinson captures the anxiety of being in a world that's falling apart with seemingly no way to stop it, though you suspect you're hurting more than you're helping. An anxiety that is only pierced by brief moments of rage, not when fighting — that's rote, unpleasurable — but when faced with your online foil who will never give it up, and may even follow you into a sequel. —Rachel Dunkel
Get tickets.
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
While rewatching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, I was forced to question everything upon the realization that ~the plot~ was certainly not what made the fourth Harry Potter film my personal favorite as a child. Throughout 157 minutes of HPGF, Pattinson appears as Cedric Diggory for exactly eight of them, and dominates the screen during every precious second. After failing upwards into the role following the whole Vanity Fair snafu (see: honorable mention), I think it’s safe to say that Cedric Diggory cemented Pattinson as one to watch. And I mean that literally, it is difficult to take your eyes off him and his wordless facial expressions that speak volumes everywhere he lacks lines.
Also (spoiler alert for that one person who never climbed aboard the Harry Potter train), despite having very little time to win the audience over before his demise, Cedric Diggory’s death scene is one that stays with you. Sure, it’s the first onscreen death we had to suffer through in the series, but the fact that it isn’t immediately buried under the impending pile of death scenes that follow soon after certainly says something. I don’t know what skill causes someone to play an incredibly compelling corpse, but Rob’s got it down pat. My only complaint is that he didn’t get more time to bring Cedric to life before his untimely death. —Danica Creahan
5. Damsel (2018)
If you stop Damsel right around the halfway mark then it becomes a piece of cinema entirely designed to allow Pattinson to shine as the almost-infuriatingly great leading man we all know he can be. Damsel feels like the film equivalent of a broken promise, but Pattinson’s unwittingly charming accent and unbridled idiocy still somehow coax me into both rewatching and recommending this oddball western flick. The film follows Samuel Alabaster, a quirky and seemingly too-innocent-for-his-own-good pioneer as he travels across the frontier with a miniature horse and a fake Parson to propose to the love of his life, Penelope.
Not to needlessly slander anyone in Pattinson’s name, but this 2018 black comedy most definitely fell victim to the wave of Mia Wasikowska hype, leaving every scene not carried by Pattinson’s performance to tumble down a rabbit hole of disappointment. Still, the dynamic duo of Samuel and Buttercup the Mini Horse puts Damsel in the top five of Pattinson’s most memorable performances (within a film that otherwise could have been quite forgettable). —Danica Creahan
Watch it on Prime Video.
4. Tenet (2020)
Tenet may not have saved movie theaters, but it did give us one of the best Robert Pattinson performances of his career. We always get the sneaking suspicion that his characters could be slick and put together if only they weren't in such a predicament, but Tenet's Neil is one of the only ones to show that side of himself onscreen. At last, we see Pattinson in suits fitted just so. His hair so exquisitely floppy it would make '90s Leo punch his mirror and scream "I'm not worthy!" Neil is handsome, knowing, and knows that you would actually like a Diet Coke even when you say you would like a soda water. He looks at home bungeeing up a wall, fighting in reverse, and performing a temporal pincer movement (don't ask). "You have a future in the past," he says Neil, and I say, "So true, bestie," without a second thought. I shudder to think of my hypothetical response with a lesser actor delivering this line at the end of the film.
After a career full of (mostly excellent) accent work, it's a breath of fresh air to hear Pattinson speak in his natural British accent, and I have to wonder if some of Neil's effortlessness comes from Pattinson being able to lean more into his intrinsic speech patterns. Either way, Tenet is a standout film among his body of work, and the one that proves that he can pull off popcorn-movie action and art-film moodiness with equal panache. It is my truest hope that Christopher Nolan takes Robert Pattinson into his menagerie and encourages him to say even more silly little lines about the nature of time and our purpose amongst it all. I will happily agree and then Google what it means later. —Rachel Dunkel
Watch it on HBO Max.
3. High Life (2018)
Since its inception, sci-fi has been a genre that allows us to examine the nature and purpose of humanity, which, depending on the story, can be seen with great optimism or crushing despondence. High Life is a film that falls firmly in the latter category. We are first introduced to Monte (Pattinson), who we find trying to raise a baby named Willow while traveling through space for an unclear purpose. Told in a non-linear narrative, we slowly discover how Monte ended up on this ship and why he is now a single-parent astronaut.
It's a lot to take in and High Life director and screenwriter Claire Denis has no interest in making sure the viewer understands everything going on. But even the more confounding parts of the movie are handled masterfully by Pattinson, whose slow-burn performance allows us to understand the motivations of Monte. Even as things grow increasingly bleak, Monte is determined to keep holding onto any semblance of hope, but not for himself. His dedication to Willow is what keeps him from giving in to his nihilistic instincts and Monte never wavers in his determination to protect her from the cruel and unforgiving nature of the universe. —Blake Harper
Watch it on Prime Video.
2. The Lighthouse (2019)
By 2019, Pattinson had gained some serious credibility as an actor — thanks to a string of impressive performances — and he decided to cash that in to take on the daunting task of trying to share the screen with the great Willem Dafoe in The Lighthouse. The movie centers around Ephraim Winslow (Pattinson), who arrives at an island off the coast of New England to help Thomas Wake (Dafoe) run an isolated lighthouse. But during their time together, shit gets real weird, both in terms of what is actually real and the tense relationship between the reluctant duo.
Even when you have little to no understanding of what is going on, Pattinson and Dafoe are such a compelling onscreen duo that you remain enthralled. If there were any remaining doubts about Pattinson's ascent as one of our finest actors, The Lighthouse definitively wiped them away with this incredibly layered performance that is constantly shifting. Over the course of any given scene, the viewer may find Ephraim equal parts sympathetic, enigmatic, menacing, and humorous and that is a tribute to how far Pattinson has come as a performer. —Blake Harper
Watch it on Prime Video.
1. Good Time (2017)
To paraphrase Connie Nikas, I think something very important is happening and it's deeply connected to [Pattinson's] purpose. This, my friends, is a flawless performance. A genius work of casting. A rare instance of a film matching the greatness of R-Patz's acting. The role he was meant to play. I have refrained from referencing late-night anecdotes from the actor up to this point (now that the cat is out of the bag regarding his penchant for lying), but as legend has it, Pattinson wrote a blind email to the Safdie Brothers after seeing — and obsessing over — a single frame from the then-unreleased Heaven Can Wait, which would develop into a creative partnership on Good Time.
I relate to this visceral relationship with the Safdies' work, because I, too, found myself muttering "this....is cinema" while pasting the still of Pattinson (above) into this post. But vibes aside, if I was forced (at gunpoint, in the middle of a NYC heist) to intellectualize why this performance works, I'd say it's that Pattinson has found a way to perfectly distill everything he does best into a single performance: He brings the charisma (Damsel), psychopathy (Devil All The Time), intelligence (Harry Potter), scumminess (The Rover), neuroticism (The Lighthouse), and comedic timing (How To Be). And, somehow, mystifyingly, in doing so becomes someone entirely unfamiliar. "The goal, for Rob, was to disappear," Ben Safdie told GQ in 2017. "He said, 'I want to disappear. That’s why I want to work with you guys. I don’t want people to watch saying, Oh, that’s Rob Pattinson.' And when people watch the movie, they go, 'Oh, my God. Is that Rob Pattinson?'" —Colin Gorenstein
Rent it on Amazon.
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