Simple Reason Why Twilight’s Bella Is So Cringy (No, It’s Not Kristen Stewart’s Fault)
Bella Swan must be one of the cringiest characters in the history of cinema, but there’s a reason for that.
Twilight has been an inexplicable global phenomenon since the 2000s. Some people love it, others can’t stand it. Yet no one can deny that Twilight definitely makes you feel things – and it has launched the careers of Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson.
The vampire saga has often come under fire for its cringe-worthiness, with Bella and Edward’s interactions taking the awkwardness crown. However, while Robert Pattinson’s portrayal of Edward is deemed just uncomfortable enough to fit the book description, Kristen Stewart’s cinematic take on Bella doesn’t get the same amount of sympathy.
Well, it’s time to change that narrative. The actress has actually done a brilliant job of playing Bella throughout Twilight, and we have the receipts.
At the beginning of the first installment, Bella Swan is a 17-year-old girl who doesn’t feel comfortable in her own skin. She is the ultimate outsider who kind of likes it that way. Twilight is written from Bella’s perspective, and it is canon that young Ms. Swan simply can’t deal with the events happening around her.
She has always felt awkward – even before she moved to Forks – and that has only intensified since she got involved with the Cullens. Bella has had an inner feeling that Edward has had it out for her from the beginning. He would stare at her like a madman and everyone else would still try to convince her that the Cullens were harmless – Bella felt like she was going crazy because she was afraid of Edward.
All of this, plus the fact that she has never been the confrontational type, is the reason why Bella is so “cringey” (she is literally written to be that way). Kristen Stewart did her best to bring this character to the screen exactly as she was meant to be, and she doesn’t deserve all the hate she’s gotten for it.
Twilight is a product of its time, and the 2000s was a time of emo culture, vampire obsession, and teenage angst. Bella is nothing short of the perfect representation of all that – thanks to Kristen Stewart herself. We said what we said.