How to watch the Twilight movies in order: chronological and release date

A promo shot showing the three main characters who appear in Twilight, the first entry in our Twilight movies in order guide, staring into the screen.

The romance between Bella Swan and Edward Cullen is a tale best enjoyed by watching the Twilight movies in order. In keeping with the four novels they're based upon by Stephanie Meyer, the five films in the Twilight saga depict the intense love story between the pair. Twilight is no ordinary romance though. While Bella (Kristen Stewart), a high school teen, falls for Edward (Robert Pattinson), it quickly becomes  complicated as she finds out he is in fact a vampire. And he's not the only one in the unsuspecting city of Forks, Washington. There's warring factions of vampires and werewolf packs to contend with that only intensifies across the multi-film saga.

For those new to Twilight, fair warning that this guide contains some minor spoilers. We've kept them as minimal as possible though to help you watch the Twilight movies in order and we'll also include details on some of the world's best streaming services where you can watch Twilight in the US, the UK, and Australia.

Twilight movies in release date order

The Twilight movies explore the intense but forbidden love between vampire Edward and teen Bella (Image credit: Summit Entertainment)

Do you want to know how to watch the Twilight movies in order by their release date? Luckily, doing so isn't as complicated as you might think. Read on to find out more:

• Twilight (released in 2008) 
• The Twilight Saga: New Moon (released in 2009)
• The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (released in 2010)
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (released in 2011)
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (released in 2012) 

Twilight movies in chronological order

Twilight's love story might focus on Edward and Bella, but it also explores Bella's friendship with Jacob (Image credit: Summit)

Fortunately, there’s no real argument about the order in which you should watch the Twilight movies. They were released in chronological order and that’s the only way to watch them. 

Unlike the task of watching the Marvel or Star Wars movies in order, there’s no difference between release order and the film’s own timeline. Everything is very linear. 

The timeline for Twilight and the movies that follow is quite compressed. We meet Bella when she is 17 and the saga ends with Bella, now a mother and a vampire, at 19, the age she will remain for the rest of her life. 

Things might change if Midnight Sun, Stephenie Meyer’s 2020 novel that retells the events of Twilight from the perspective of Edward rather than Bella, becomes a movie. In fact, Netflix's Tudum announced in September that the streamer is adapting Midnight Sun into an animated TV show. The new entry to the Twilight canon switches the narrative over to Edward Cullen, instead of Bella, for a retelling of the first book. Stephanie Meyer will join as executive producer and Sinead Daly (Tell Me Lies, The Walking Dead: World Beyond) will also executive produce and write the series.

Twilight movies ranked

Twilight explores the friction between Edward and Jacob and their warring families (Image credit: Summit)

Below, we've ranked the Twilight movies in order based on their Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb user scores. Critics weren’t wild about the films, with the best of them only ranked at 49% and the lowest way down at 25%. Still, more than three billion dollars in the bank, we’re sure producers Lionsgate couldn’t give two hoots.

Rotten Tomatoes

• Twilight - 49%
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 - 49%
• The Twilight Saga: Eclipse - 46%
• The Twilight Saga: New Moon - 28%
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 - 25%

IMDb

• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 - IMDb Rating 5.6
• Twilight - IMDb Rating: 5.3
• The Twilight Saga: Eclipse - IMDb Rating: 5.1
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 - IMDb Rating 4.9
• The Twilight Saga: New Moon - IMDb Rating 4.8

Twilight movies: where to watch online

Twilight may begin with Edward as a vampire and Bella as a high schooler, but their relationship (and their lives) change in monumental ways throughout the saga (Image credit: Summit Entertainment)

In the US, unfortunately the Twilight movies are not available to stream. Instead, you can rent or buy via Prime Video or Apple TV Plus. 

In the UK, you can watch the whole Twilight saga on Disney Plus. The first movie, Twilight, is also available on Prime Video.

In Australia, the first movie, Twilight, is available on Foxtel Now, Disney Plus, and Stan. All of the other movies in the saga can be streamed on Binge, Foxtel Now, and Stan.