Robert Pattinson names his 10 favourite movies of all time
Countless actors have reinvented themselves in the Hollywood sphere over the years, with Matthew McConaughey going from a rom-com heartthrob to a serious Oscar winner and Zac Efron transitioning from being a young Disney star to an ambitious industry darling. Yet, one of the most beloved actors ever to undergo this transformation is Robert Pattinson, the former pin-up boy turned daring indie star.
Making his feature film debut in the Harry Potter franchise, where he attracted millions of teenage eyes, Patterson later reappeared in another young adult franchise, 2008’s Twilight. His first major starring role, Pattinson became an overnight sensation after the $37million movie made over $400m at the box office in the midst of culture’s obsession with tales of pale-skinned, sexy vampires.
Four sequels followed, and by the 2010s, Pattinson was a global star, yet it was clear through his extracurricular collaborations that his interests lay elsewhere, working with David Cronenberg in 2012 for the fascinating drama Cosmopolis, the very same year the final Twilight movie was released. Reinventing himself as a serious acting talent, in the years that followed, he developed movies with significant industry titans, including David Michôd, Werner Herzog, Anton Corbijn, James Gray and the Safdie brothers.
Indeed, in the contemporary world, he’s considered one of the industry’s most beloved talents, as well as a student of cinema who cares passionately about his own contributions to the art form.
Such was clear when he sat down with Le Cinéma Club and revealed five of his all-time favourite movies. Opting for an eclectic mix, Pattinson chooses two movies from the 21st century in the form of Ciro Guerra’s Embrace of the Serpent and Arnaud Desplechin’s Jimmy P before naming three classics from world cinema, Wong Kar-wai’s Days of Being Wild, Elem Klimov’s Come and See, and Shōhei Imamura’s Vengeance Is Mine.
This isn’t the only time he’s revealed to fans his all-time favourite films, however. He named, in an interview back in 2008, a collection of other personal picks.
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a good film — but that one specifically meant a lot to me,” Pattinson revealed in the interview, highlighting Miloš Forman’s 1975 Oscar-winner. Continuing, he added: “A lot of that kind of “putting your middle finger up to the world” attitude — not that I really have that, but…I used to be so timid, and that was one of those films that [helped me break out], by pretending to be [Jack Nicholson’s character] Randle”.
Elsewhere, he also praises the iconic horror movie The Exorcist, directed by the late William Friedkin. “The Exorcist, because I love Linda Blair…She’s my ideal woman,” the actor states, joining millions of horror fans across the world in their love of the seminal classic.
Take a look at the full list of Robert Pattinson’s favourite movies below.
Robert Pattinson’s 10 favourite movies:
- Come and See (Elem Klimov, 1985)
- Corky Romano (Rob Pritts, 2001)
- Days of Being Wild (Wong Kar-wai, 1990)
- Embrace of the Serpent (Ciro Guerra, 2015)
- The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973)
- Ivans Xtc (Bernard Rose, 2002)
- Jimmy P (Arnaud Desplechin, 2013)
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Miloš Forman, 1975)
- Prenom Carmen (Jean-Luc Godard, 1983)
- Vengeance Is Mine (Shōhei Imamura, 1979)
