Over the years, Robert Pattinson has proven himself as one of the most fascinating actors working in Hollywood. From humble beginnings in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to full-blown tween stardom in The Twilight Saga, he now stars in Matt Reeves' latest revival of the 'Caped Crusader', The Batman.
Before The Batman, Pattinson quietly established himself as a chameleon in the cinematic medium, eschewing mainstream entertainment to take on roles that positively challenged—and changed—his reputation as an actor. Pattinson's refusal to be pigeonholed into any one type of role has allowed him to pursue a streak of unpredictable choices in a range of compelling projects.
5 'The King' Turned Pattinson Into An Antagonist
Directed by David Michôd, The King chronicles the legend of Henry V "Hal," Prince of Wales (Timothée Chalamet), who encounters deceit and treachery in the wake of a war left behind by his late father, Henry IV (Ben Mendelsohn).
Pattinson plays the deliciously detestable 'Dauphin of France,' experimenting with a surprisingly well-realized Parisian accent to portray a scene-stealing, power-hungry, snotty French prince whose overt, operatic temperament makes for one of The King's most entertaining elements. Pattinson serves as levity to an otherwise serious period piece, placing his own twist on the character of Dauphin with a performance that manages to feel both ominous and hilarious.
4 'The Devil All The Time' Made A Preacher Out Of Pattinson
Directed by Antonio Campos, The Devil All the Time follows the story of Arvin Russel (Tom Holland), a young man who devotes himself to protecting his family in a town full of petulant, portentous people. Pattinson plays Preacher Preston Teagarden—a charismatic, licentious, morally corrupt minister whose story becomes intertwined with Arvin's in the aftermath of a traumatic event.
Soaked in blood, dirt, holy water, and tears, The Devil All the Time is unrelenting in its depiction of dejection, capturing a fiendishly gripping, violent tale of vengeance set against the backdrop of rural America. Elevated by exceptional performances from an ensemble cast, The Devil All the Time crafts an enthralling exposé about a disturbing side of history that's all too often sanitized for audience consumption.
3 'Remember Me' Put Pattinson On The Map
Directed by Allen Coulter, Remember Me follows Pattinson in the role of Tyler, a young man whose relationship with his father (Pierce Brosnan) becomes strained after a personal tragedy. Tyler meets Ally (Emilie de Ravin), whose strength and spirit begin to heal him until secrets that threaten their romance start to emerge.
Pattinson plays a reckless mass of angst and anger, delivering a powerful performance that acquits himself well enough to suggest a career beyond his moody, bloodsucking days of Twilight. Remember Me is the film that opened up more opportunities for Pattinson as an actor. His magnetic work is supported by a great cast in a film that harbors a bleak tone with fragile touches of romance.
2 'The Lighthouse' Leads With A Powerhouse Performance From Pattinson
Directed by Robert Eggers, The Lighthouse helms a contemporary take on Edgar Allan Poe's unfinished story 'The Light-House,' which tells the tale of two lighthouse keepers, Ephraim Winslow (Pattinson) and Thomas Wake (Willam Dafoe), who descend into madness together after a storm strands them on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s.
The Lighthouse amalgamates elements of psychological cinema with the survival/horror genre to craft a compelling character study that offers a bleak, esoteric, mind-bending trip to the edges of delirium. Dafoe and Pattinson strike a perfect tonal balance, bound together by Egger's expertly rendered atmospherics that shroud the film like fog rolling onto the shore. Heightened by Hitchcock-esque levels of anxiety and dread, The Lighthouse is a stone-cold masterpiece that begs for an immediate rewatch to unpack and decipher its disturbing, unforgettable performances.
1 'Good Time' Oozes Energy From Pattinson's Fearless Performance
Directed by the Safdie brothers, Good Time stars Pattinson as bank robber, Connie Nikas. His latest venture focuses on his effort to free his brother Nick (played by co-director, Benny Safdie), who has a developmental disability, from prison – all while evading his own capture through the streets of New York's dark and dangerous criminal underbelly.
Anchored by a career-best performance from Pattinson, whose Manson-eyed 'Connie' manipulates and mesmerizes everyone in his path (including the audience), Good Time blends brilliant cinematography with frenetic editing and a pulsating score to craft a fatigue-defying, wildly inventive, chaotic affair. Its rave-like aesthetic and docu-style filming feels like a throwback to the late '60s and '70s, evoking some of cinema's best crime thrillers such as Dog Day Afternoon, The French Connection, and Mean Streets. Trapping its characters in a world devoid of empathy, Good Time plots an intoxicating, hypnotic procedural from start to finish—cementing itself in cinema as an essential piece of contemporary filmmaking.