After The Twilight Saga, Robert Pattinson could have forever been known as the glittery vampire from Forks, Washington. However, thanks to his risky career choices, he was able to turn his image around and reinvent himself as one of the most versatile actors of our time.
Now he’s Batman, and this would not have been possible if he hadn’t gone out of his comfort zone. Let’s take a look at seven risks Pattinson took in his career that made him who he is today, starting off with David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis.
1. Cosmopolis (2012)
Released in the same year as the final Twilight film, Cosmopolis told the story of a billionaire currency speculator who watched his life unravel in front of his eyes as he faced marital, health, and financial problems, pushing him towards a path of self-destruction.
By starring in Cosmopolis, Pattinson made sure that he would have more to his name before Twilight ended, branding him as Edward Cullen forever. It wasn’t exactly a safe transition role. It was completely different from what his fans were used to. Pattinson knew what he was doing when he said yes to Cronenberg. He wanted to redefine his image in Hollywood, and he did exactly that.
| Release Date | August 17, 2012 (limited release) |
| Director | David Cronenberg |
| Rotten Tomatoes | Critics: 67% Audience: 31% |
| Box Office (via The Numbers) | $6,860,624 |
| Where to Watch | Stream on Roku Rent/buy on Prime Video |
The film may have received average feedback from critics, but even they agreed that Pattinson was the highlight. Variety‘s Justin Chang rightly called him an “indispensable asset.”
2. The Rover (2014)
Set ten years after a global economic collapse, The Rover tells the story of Guy Pearce’s Eric, whose sole possession, his car, gets stolen by a gang. Determined to find it, Eric follows them in their truck and comes across a wounded Reynolds (Pattinson) abandoned by the gang Eric’s hunting. Together, they form an unconventional partnership to find the gang.
The Australian film came out two years after The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, perfectly showcasing a different side of Pattinson that the audience had yet to see. The role demanded vulnerability, discomfort, and sheer rawness that only he could have delivered.
Years after seeing him in charge as the leading vampire, the switch to a fragile, lost, and simply human character was refreshing.
| Release Date | June 12, 2014 |
| Director | David Michôd |
| Rotten Tomatoes | Critics: 67% Audience: 52% |
| Box Office (via The Numbers) | $3,180,252 |
| Where to Watch | Rent/buy on Prime Video |
Critics praised both Pearce and Pattinson’s performance, with THR suggesting that the latter might “indeed be capable of offbeat character work.”
3. Maps to the Stars (2014)
Pattinson reunited with Cronenberg for his satirical black comedy, Maps to the Stars, a film that focuses on members of a highly dysfunctional Hollywood family as their thirst for fame and validation begs to be quenched. Drama? There’s a ton of it here.
While not in the lead this time, Pattinson plays the role of a limousine driver/struggling actor who wants to be a successful screenwriter.
| Release Date | February 27, 2015 |
| Director | David Cronenberg |
| Rotten Tomatoes | Critics: 63% Audience: 44% |
| Box Office (via The Numbers) | $884,136 |
| Where to Watch | Rent/buy on Prime Video |
The film tore apart the very industry that made Pattinson famous. It was a risky choice because it mocked the system he was still trying to survive, and somehow worked in his favor. He even ended up with a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the Canadian Screen Awards 2015.
4. The Childhood of a Leader (2016)
Pattinson made a bold move to star in Brady Corbet’s directorial debut, The Childhood of a Leader, a historical coming-of-age drama that revolves around young Prescott, who witnesses the Treaty of Versailles after World War I. As he grows up, he turns into a fascist leader due to his life experiences.
The unsettling drama discusses the psychological roots of fascism, and in the middle of it all, Pattinson does absolute justice to his role.
| Release Date | Jul 22, 2016 |
| Director | Brady Corbet |
| Rotten Tomatoes | Critics: 90% Audience: 54% |
| Box Office (via The Numbers) | $240,099 |
| Where to Watch | Roku, AMC+ Rent/buy on Prime Video |
His limited yet strong performance blends into the film’s unsettling atmosphere, forcing the critics to acknowledge his abilities to shine even when fading into the background.
5. Good Time (2017)
If there is one film that changed Pattinson’s career narrative for good, it’s Good Time. He played the role of Connie Nikas, a small-time criminal from Queens who sets out to free his mentally disabled brother from the police while keeping himself out of their sight.
The movie shows Connie’s chaotic journey through a single night in New York. With less and less time remaining on his hands, he is met with more crime at every turn.
| Release Date | August 11, 2017 |
| Director | Josh Safdie Benny Safdie |
| Rotten Tomatoes | Critics: 91% Audience: 82% |
| Box Office (via The Numbers) | $4,137,255 |
| Where to Watch | HBO Max |
With Good Time, Pattinson made his fans forget everything they thought they knew about him as an actor. The best part? Critics couldn’t stop praising his performance. THR‘s David Rooney deemed this Pattinson’s “most commanding performance to date.”
6. High Life (2018)
A sci-fi film with high stakes, High Life tells the story of a group of death row inmates who are sent on a space mission to extract alternate energy from a black hole. Pattinson’s Monte becomes the last survivor aboard the decaying spacecraft headed straight towards a black hole, all while he has his infant daughter accompanying him.
| Release Date | April 5, 2019 |
| Director | Claire Denis |
| Rotten Tomatoes | Critics: 83% Audience: 42% |
| Box Office (via The Numbers) | $2,769,756 |
| Where to Watch | Rent//buy on Prime Video |
Pattinson delivers a quiet performance that leaves the audience stunned. Despite minimal dialogue, he manages to pierce through the hearts of those watching as his character struggles to hold onto morality in a place deprived of it. The silence that it leaves you with is nothing less than haunting.
While the film risked alienating the mainstream audience, Pattinson once again proved that he knew what he was doing.
7. The Lighthouse (2019)
Last but certainly not least, The Lighthouse stars Pattinson and Willem Dafoe as troubled 19th-century lighthouse keepers stranded on a remote outpost in the middle of a violent storm. As their sanity begins to unravel from isolation and supernatural visions, the relationship between the two men turns hostile enough to push them into madness.
Pattinson goes from playing a restrained Ephraim Winslow to a violent, unhinged man as the film progresses. His performance is only enhanced by Dafoe’s, as the chemistry between the two men elevates the film to another level.
| Release Date | October 18, 2019 |
| Director | Robert Eggers |
| Rotten Tomatoes | Critics: 90% Audience: 72% |
| Box Office (via The Numbers) | $18,237,527 |
| Where to Watch | HBO Max |
The Lighthouse was praised right, left, and center, and it even received a nomination for Best Cinematography at the 92nd Academy Awards. Shot completely in black and white, this is one title from Pattinson’s filmography you simply cannot miss.
Pattinson’s post-Twilight journey proves that the man doesn’t believe in playing it safe. And that is one common element you’ll see throughout his career.
Which of these performances made you forget Edward Cullen forever? Let us know in the comments section below!