Before becoming The Batman in Matt Reeve's highly anticipated film, Robert Pattinson was best known for his role as Edward Cullen in the Twilight series. He also appeared in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as Cedric Diggory. Casual moviegoers who do not have an interest in films that are not part of a franchise have unfortunately missed out on some of Pattinson's greatest performances. Indeed, Pattinson has been starring in independent films and smaller projects for the past few years. In 2020, Pattinson made his return to the world of blockbuster films with Christopher Nolan's Tenet.
The role of Bruce Wayne has put Pattinson back into the public spotlight, with more fans interested than ever in the talented actor. Thanks to his excellent choice in film projects, Pattinson's filmography displays his range and the extent of his acting abilities. This is an actor who has managed to avoid being type-cast and has explored many very different film roles. Here are 5 amazing Robert Pattinson performances to watch before The Batman.
5 The Lost City of Z
The Lost City of Z was a financial failure but was named by Time magazine as one of its Top 10 Films of 2017. It still was not a film that was positively-received by audiences, having received an audience score of 57% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, Robert Pattinson's performance was impressive, and earned a spot on this list.
The film centered on Percy Fawcett, a British explorer as he journeys to find a lost city in the Amazon. Along the way, Fawcett meets fellow explorer Henry Costin (played by Robert Pattinson). Both Fawcett and Costin were highly-driven, curious explorers that were desperate for answers. While Charlie Hunnam was in the lead role, Pattinson's talents allowed his supporting character to truly shine. The Lost City of Z continues to be widely-regarded as a showpiece for Pattinson's acting strengths. It also proved how much he can do even when he is a supporting character.
4 High Life
Robert Pattinson went to space in High Life, a sci-fi horror film from Claire Denis. The film, like The Lighthouse, placed Pattinson's character in a stressful remote environment. Pattinson played Monte, a member of a group of criminals on a spaceship headed towards a black hole. During the mission, the passengers (or in this case, prisoners) become the subjects of a variety of science experiments. Space was depicted in High Life as a very unwelcome, frightening place; a trap that leaves the ship's crew with nowhere else to go.
High Life distinguished itself from many of Pattinson's other films as he finally played a father. Despite all the chaos and horror-elements introduced in the film, the real stand out was Pattinson's performance and Monte's emotional bond with his daughter.
3 The Devil All the Time
Pattinson played Preston Teagardin in the 2020 Netflix crime drama, The Devil All the Time. The movie also featured Spider-Man actor Tom Holland in the lead role. Both Pattinson and Holland's voices became unrecognizable as they used a strong Southern accent for the entirety of the film.
Pattinson's character, Preston Teagardin, was a preacher fallen from grace who abused his power. This was Pattinson's most villainous role: a selfish manipulator who hid his inner darkness behind a smile. To say that the character is simply unlikeable is an understatement. The actor is admired by many fans in the real world, but Teagardin was a person one would want to be as far away from as possible. The Devil All The Time continued to demonstrate Pattinson's versatility as an actor.
2 The Lighthouse
The Lighthouse could not have found two better leads than in Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe. The two actors played lighthouse keepers that were isolated from the rest of the world. Throughout the film's near two-hour runtime, "Ephraim Winslow" (a name used by Pattinson's character) and Thomas Wake (played by Willem Dafoe) descended further and further into madness. Wake made life difficult for Winslow, pushing him to carry out very arduous tasks. The two lighthouse keepers developed a complex relationship with each other, involving both contempt and companionship.
Driven entirely by the chemistry between Pattinson and Dafoe, the film easily could have not worked. The Lighthouse contained a very closed-off setting and told a story with only two characters. It was not necessarily driven by an eventful plot, but the internal struggles and dynamic between Winslow and Wake. Dafoe's character tells Winslow that the previous "wickie" (a lighthouse keeper) died after losing his sanity. Both Wake and Winslow also lost their sanity, and Dafoe and Pattinson portrayed that loss of sanity incredibly well. The Lighthouse was entirely in black-and-white, but it was also tonally a very dark film. Cinephiles looking for a more psychological film with strong character work and performances, should definitely make sure to watch The Lighthouse.
1 Good Time
The Safdie brothers are well-known for directing the critically-acclaimed Uncut Gems for A24. Before Uncut Gems however, Josh and Benny Safdie directed another crime thriller with Good Time (2017). The film recruited Robert Pattinson for the lead role. Pattinson played Connie Nikas, a bank robber who pulls his mentally disabled brother into his life of crime. Due to Connie's actions at the beginning of the film, Connie's brother is arrested when the bank robbery goes wrong. Good Time followed Connie as he tried to get his brother out of jail while doing his best to avoid prison himself.
While Connie was the main character, he was also very much a villain. Not only was Pattinson convincing, he also managed to make a villainous protagonist completely captivating to watch. Pattinson fully immersed himself in the role and dissolved into the character. The actor revealed to Moviemaker that Good Time impressed Matt Reeves (director of The Batman) so much so that Reeves wanted to cast Pattinson as the Caped Crusader. Both Connie Nikas and Bruce Wayne are flawed human beings that are always around criminal activity. Unlike some talented actors who have questionable choices in projects, if you watch one of Robert Pattinson's films, you know that you're in for a good time.