Robert Pattinson is a relatively young actor compared to his peers who have been in the film industry for as long as he’s been alive. That’s not to say that he hasn’t had substantial roles in his career. He’s had many notable roles that have shaped pop culture in so many ways. Starring in Harry Potter as Cedric Digory, or Twilight as Edward Cullen, Pattinson has had a range of major roles throughout his career.
Since the onset of his career, he has had more and more notable roles that may not get as much credit. Most recently, he has been cast as Batman in the latest installment of the Batman universe. Since Robert Pattinson has so many great roles, it’s only right that we rank the best ones.
9. Henry Costin in The Lost City of Z
Pattinson plays a smaller role as a reformed alcoholic, Henry Costin, who is an aide to Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnman) in the adventure film. This role is a surprising one because it is a huge underplay for Pattinson. Throughout the majority of the film, Pattinson is unrecognizable, most displayed in shadow or lowlight. He’s also disguised by a heavy beard and spectacles for the majority of the film. This contributes to his performance being lost in the complete framework of the film. As a result, this isn’t anything remarkable compared to the other things he’s worked on, but it’s still worth the mention.
8. Neil in Tenet
Neil is one of Pattinson’s most confusing roles as of late. That’s not to say he didn’t fit the role well, but that the way he played the role is confusing for the audience to gauge. The audience is wondering if Neil is a reliable character the whole film. Neil is in the end reliable and trustworthy, but it takes a lot in order for the audience to truly get a grasp of him just based on his conniving and cunning nature. This portrayal from Pattinson is what makes the relationship between Neil and the unnamed protagonist (John David Washington) so intriguing and fun to watch.
7. The Dauphin in The King
This antagonist to King Henry V (Timothee Chalamet) is worthy of being claimed as such. Dauphin is distinctly sadistic in this film. Pattinson dons a beautiful French accent in this film, which makes his performance have that much more nuance. This role is impressive because of the sheer will to play the role as it was intended: evil and condescending.
6. Edward Cullen in The Twilight Series
Pattinson’s performance in the Twilight series is undoubtedly cheesy; however, the nuance of this film series is what makes the role, if not palatable, great. The role itself lacks luster, not having much to work off of. Cullen isn’t a particularly deep character on paper. This was also a very early role in Pattinson’s career. He wasn’t going to win any awards for this role, but the nuance of the film series is what pushes this role up the list.
5. Preston Teagardin in The Devil All the Time
This crooked preacher is perfect for Pattinson. In a similar way to Henry Costin, Pattinson is slightly disguised with a fat suit. He delivers a very interesting performance here that is both evil and sad. Pattinson perfectly brings life to the character and acquires pity that can be used to twist the knife more so for the audience when Teagardin betrays their trust. Teagardin is a complicated character. He is mainly evil and conniving, but also appears to be intriguing, deep and pitiful at times. Pattinson perfectly handles the task of touting a southern accent and marks another great performance in his career.
4. Cedric Digory in Harry Potter: The Goblet of Fire
This role makes the list simply for the nostalgia associated with it. Cedric Digory is an easily lovable character. His persona is charming and wins the hearts of so many within the film. It’s a relatively minimal role in the film, but Pattinson does so much with it. As such a young actor, he really performs well in this role.
3. Connie Nikas in Good Time
Another very lovable character, Pattinson completely delivers in this film. The storyline in this film is perfectly constructed to focus on Connie and his journey. Pattinson uses this to his advantage, making the story interesting and exciting throughout. Pattinson presents a very human performance and redeems the character through his showcasing throughout the film.
2. Thomas Howard in The Lighthouse
This is one of Robert Pattinson's most introspective and difficult roles. He’s paired with Willem Dafoe in this thriller, in which the two battle it out to see who can have the better performance. This role is startling in that it’s so believable and translates to make the plot more relatable and straddling to the audience.
1. Bruce Wayne/Batman in The Batman
This role is another one that is engraved in pop culture and induces nostalgia for the audience. The nostalgia alone makes this role a great one for many reasons, but Pattinson’s performance is so believable that the movie is elevated. Pattinson’s performance lifts the entire movie from being yet another superhero movie to an actually fairly believable action drama.
