2004–2007: Beginnings Pattinson's first film role was in
Mira Nair's 2004
costume drama film
Vanity Fair—an adaptation of
a novel by
William Makepeace Thackeray—in which he portrayed the son of
Becky Sharp. However, his scenes were deleted from the final cut and are only available in the DVD version of the film. Reflecting on the experience, Pattinson stated, "My first job I was playing
Reese Witherspoon's son and I hadn't done any acting in school. I wasn't in a drama school or anything. I'd done one amateur play and you end up doing a film with Reese Witherspoon". That year, Pattinson had a more prominent role in the television film
Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King alongside
Max Von Sydow and
Julian Sands. Directed by
Uli Edel, the film follows
Siegfried (played by
Benno Furmann), a young blacksmith who slays a dragon and falls in love with
Queen Brunhild (played by
Kristanna Loken). Pattinson portrays
Giselher, the younger brother of
King Gunther and
Princess Kriemhild, who looks up to Siegfried as a
demigod. In 2005, Pattinson was cast as
Cedric Diggory in the fantasy film
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, directed by
Mike Newell. According to Newell, "Cedric exemplifie[d] all that you would expect the
Hogwarts champion to be. Robert[...] was born to play the role; he's quintessentially English with chiselled public schoolboy good looks". Pattinson learned to
scuba dive in preparation for the role. For his performance, he was named the 2005 "British Star of Tomorrow" by
The Times and was also referred to as "the next
Jude Law". The film grossed nearly $897million worldwide, making it the
highest-grossing film of 2005. In 2006, Pattinson starred in Chris Durlacher's
The Haunted Airman, a
psychological thriller that aired on
BBC Four on 31 October. He played a
World War II pilot who is shot, left paralysed and suffers from severe
shell shock, eventually descending into madness. Pattinson himself described the role as his "best acting experience". His performance received positive reviews, with
The Stage saying that he portrayed "the airman of the title with a perfect combination of youthful terror and world-weary cynicism". Pattinson then appeared in a supporting role as Daniel in the 2007 film ''
The Bad Mother's Handbook'', a one-off
television drama adapted from a novel by
Kate Long. In the film, he portrayed a shy young man who develops feelings for a girl struggling with issues after being dumped by her former boyfriend and experiencing difficulties with her mother.
2008–2013: The Twilight Saga and worldwide recognition '' in 2009 In 2008, Pattinson played his first leading role as Art in the film
How to Be, directed by
Oliver Irving. In the film, Art, after being dumped by his girlfriend, moves back in with his parents and convinces a Canadian
self-help guru to relocate to London to help him rebuild his life. Irving recalled Pattinson's audition, saying, "Robert walked in[,]forgot his lines and just started improvising, which was exactly what I wanted [...] he's a really down-to-earth guy". Pattinson himself enjoyed filming the movie, stating that he "loved the script" and found it "very different from everything else [he] had read". That same year, Pattinson portrayed
Salvador Dalí in
Little Ashes (2008). He was originally considered for the role of
Federico García Lorca, Dalí's lover, but the part ultimately went to
Javier Beltrán. The film mostly received negative reviews; the
Toronto Stars Greg Quill stated that "even cinematographer Adam Suschitzky's richly textured and resonantly toned cityscapes and rural scenes can't make up for a flawed script and weak performances in what might have been a powerful historical drama". In 2008, Pattinson starred alongside
Kristen Stewart as
Edward Cullen in the romantic fantasy
Twilight, based on
Stephenie Meyer's
2005 novel of the same name. Approximately three thousand men submitted resumes for the role of Cullen, many of whom auditioned. Director
Catherine Hardwicke said that Pattinson had "everything [they] needed [...] that angular face and kind of mysterious Edward aura". According to Pattinson, his performance in the film was largely influenced by Stewart's. He adopted an
American accent for the role and wore
contact lenses. In the film,
Bella, portrayed by Stewart, faces danger from James, a vampire determined to kill her and drink her blood, leading Cullen—Bella's vampire lover—to become embroiled in a battle with James. While the film received mixed reviews, critics widely praised Pattinson's chemistry with Stewart.
The New York Timess
Manohla Dargis described Pattinson as a "capable and exotically beautiful" actor, while
Roger Ebert believed he was "well-chosen" for the role. Pattinson presented at the
81st Academy Awards in February 2009; he was initially set to appear with Stewart, who declined. He played Richard in Daisy Gili's film
The Summer House (2009). The story follows Richard, Jane's (played by
Talulah Riley) ex-boyfriend, as he travels to France to try to win back her love after cheating on her. The short film was later re-released as part of an anthology titled
Love & Distrust (2010), which features five short films exploring the lives of eight individuals from different backgrounds on their journey to find contentment.
Revolver Entertainment released
Robsessed (2009), a documentary about Pattinson's life and rise to fame. Pattinson reprised his role as Cullen in the
Twilight sequel,
The Twilight Saga: New Moon, which was released in November 2009. The film grossed a record-breaking $142.8million in its opening weekend and earned a total of $711million worldwide, making it the
seventh-highest-grossing film of 2009. Bill Goodykoontz of
The Arizona Republic mentioned that "Pattinson's actually not in the film that much, but he does his best when he's around", while
The Washington Posts Michael O'Sullivan praised his acting as "uniformly strong". The film earned Pattinson three
MTV Movie Awards at the
2010 ceremony. in 2012 In 2010, Pattinson
executive-produced and starred in the
coming-of-age drama film
Remember Me, portraying Tyler Hawkins. Directed by
Allen Coulter, the film follows a young couple navigating their relationship in the aftermath of a family tragedy. Pattinson's role in the film received mixed reviews from critics. That same year, he reprised his role as Edward Cullen in
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)—which emerged as the
sixth-highest-grossing film of that year, making over $698.4 million. In 2011, Pattinson portrayed Jacob Jankowski in
Water for Elephants, a film adaptation of
Sara Gruen's
2006 novel, in which he reunited with Witherspoon. While the film received mixed reviews, Pattinson's performance garnered praise;
Times
Richard Corliss described it as "star quality". Pattinson reprised his role as Edward Cullen in
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (2011). The film grossed $712million worldwide, which made it the
fourth-highest-grossing film of 2011, but received mixed to negative reviews from critics. Pattinson starred as Georges Duroy in
a 2012 film adaptation of the 1885 novel
Bel-Ami. Pattinson starred in
the film adaptation of the novel
Cosmopolis, directed by
David Cronenberg. The film competed for the
Palme d'Or at the
2012 Cannes Film Festival and received generally positive reviews, with Pattinson's performance earning particular acclaim.
Robbie Collin of
The Daily Telegraph hailed it as a "sensational performance", stating that Pattinson portrays the character Eric Packer "like a human caldera; stony on the surface, with volcanic chambers of nervous energy and self-loathing churning deep below". Pattinson reprised his role as Edward Cullen for the final time in
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (2012). The film became the highest-grossing instalment of the
Twilight series and the
sixth-highest-grossing film of 2012, earning over $829 million worldwide.
2014–2019: Independent films In May 2014, two of Pattinson's films debuted at the
2014 Cannes Film Festival. Pattinson starred in
David Michôd's futuristic western
The Rover, alongside
Guy Pearce and
Scoot McNairy. He travelled to Australia to portray the role of Reynolds, spending seven weeks filming. The film is set in the
Outback a decade after an economic collapse; Pattinson's character is a young, naive American man who is abandoned by his brother following a failed robbery.
Varietys Scott Foundas praised Pattinson's "career re-defining performance", as well as his convincing
Southern accent and "understated dignity" in a role that could have been overly sentimental. Next, Pattinson reunited with Cronenberg for the
satirical drama
Maps to the Stars. He portrayed Jerome Fontana, a struggling limousine driver and actor who aspires to be a screenwriter. Cronenberg thought casting Pattinson was an "easy decision to make", praising him as "extremely inventive". The film was positively received by critics; Robbie Collin described Pattinson's performance as "winningly played". He starred in
Werner Herzog's
biographical film
Queen of the Desert (2015), an adaptation of
Gertrude Bell's life story, starring alongside
Nicole Kidman and
James Franco. Pattinson portrayed
T. E. Lawrence, also known as Lawrence of Arabia. Geoffrey Macnab of
The Independent described his performance as "comic and a very long way removed from
Peter O'Toole", stating that Pattinson played Lawrence as "a sharp-tongued, sardonic figure who can see through the pretensions of his bosses and colleagues". David Rooney of
The Hollywood Reporter called Pattinson's role "brief but significant" and highlighted the "easy camaraderie in his scenes with Kidman". He next starred in
Anton Corbijn's biographical drama
Life (2015), based on the life of actor
James Dean. Set in the 1950s, Pattinson played
Dennis Stock, a photographer who became friends with Dean after travelling with him through Los Angeles, Indiana and New York. Guy Lodge of
Variety called his performance a "sly turn", while David Rooney, writing for
The Hollywood Reporter, thought that Pattinson "[gave] arguably the most fully rounded performance". In late 2015, Pattinson starred in
The Childhood of a Leader, the directorial debut of
Brady Corbet, alongside
Bérénice Bejo and
Stacy Martin. Pattinson took on dual roles in the film, first as Charles Marker, a reporter in Germany during
World War I, and later as the adult version of the leader.
Peter Bradshaw of
The Guardian described his performance as "elegant" and
Screen Internationals Lee Marshall praising the role as "excellent". In 2016, Pattinson appeared in
Plan B Entertainment's
The Lost City of Z, directed by
James Gray. The film premiered in August 2016 at the
New York Film Festival. Pattinson had been cast as British explorer Corporal Henry Costin in November 2013. Set in the 1920s, the film follows British surveyor
Percy Fawcett, who disappears in the
Amazon rainforest while searching for a mythical city. For the role, Pattinson grew a thick beard and lost nearly . Though the film was a
box-office bomb,
Us Weekly writer Mara Reinstein thought that Pattinson's performance in the film was "compelling", while
The Guardian thought that Pattinson was "considerably more interesting to watch", commenting that the viewer may find themselves "wishing that his character, rather than the dashing but dull Fawcett, was the focus of the film". in 2017 Pattinson next starred in the
Safdie brothers' neo-exploitation thriller
Good Time (2017) as Connie Nikas, a bank robber navigating the criminal underworld of
Queens, New York. The film premiered in competition at the
2017 Cannes Film Festival; Pattinson's performance was described as a "career peak" by
Varietys Guy Lodge and his "career-best" by Eric Kohn from
IndieWire. David Rooney of
The Hollywood Reporter compared Pattinson's portrayal to
Al Pacino's performance as
Sonny Wortzik in
Dog Day Afternoon (1975), ultimately describing it as "his most commanding performance to date". For his role, Pattinson earned his first
Independent Spirit Award nomination for
Best Male Lead. While promoting
Good Time, Pattinson wrote and starred in a short film for
GQ titled
Fear & Shame. Filmed on the streets of New York, the piece follows Pattinson, playing himself, as he navigates the city's bustling environment, attempting to buy a hot dog while evading the media and fans. The
Zellner Brothers' western-comedy
Damsel (2018) marked Pattinson's return to comedy for the first time since
How to Be. He portrayed Samuel Alabaster, an eccentric cowboy embarking on a journey west in search of his kidnapped fiancée. His performance received positive reviews, with
Dana Schwartz from
Entertainment Weekly describing it as "so delightfully unhinged that it harkens back
Jake Gyllenhaal in
Okja". Pattinson's second and final film of 2018 was
Claire Denis's sci-fi drama
High Life, set in space and centred on a group of criminals sent on a mission toward a
black hole. Denis initially considered
Philip Seymour Hoffman for the lead role, but after recognising Pattinson's dedication and enthusiasm to collaborate, she cast him instead. Pattinson played Monte, a reluctant father who raises his daughter alone as their spaceship continues its journey into deep space.
Screen Internationals Allen Hunter praised Pattinson as the most "dominant" and "engaging" presence in the film, while Jason Bailey of
The Playlist described it as "another scorching Pattinson performance", praising his compelling portrayal of the character's menace and defiance. Pattinson's first role in 2019 was in
Robert Eggers's black-and-white psychological horror film
The Lighthouse, set on a remote
New England island in the 1890s. The film premiered in the
Directors' Fortnight section at the
2019 Cannes Film Festival, earning good reviews for both its storytelling and Pattinson's performance. In his review for
The Guardian, Bradshaw described Pattinson's performance as "mesmeric" and a "sledgehammer punch" that "just gets better and better". He earned his second nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead. Pattinson's next two films premiered at the
2019 Venice Film Festival. He first starred in
The King—his second collaboration with Michôd, and an adaptation of
William Shakespeare's plays. Pattinson portrayed
Louis, The Dauphin, the nemesis of
Henry V. For the role, he adopted a French accent, which he modelled after individuals in the
French fashion industry. While opinions on his accent were mixed, He then appeared in
Ciro Guerra's
Waiting for the Barbarians (2019), an adaptation of
J. M. Coetzee's
1980 novel, alongside
Mark Rylance and
Johnny Depp. His performance received a less enthusiastic response, with Boyd van Hoeij of
The Hollywood Reporter calling it "a rather flat supporting role", while
The Guardian critic Harry Windsor described his portrayal as "stiff" and "over-articulated". He based his character's mannerisms on those of author
Christopher Hitchens. Jessica Kiang of
The New York Times labelled him as "delightful" and praised his chemistry with Washington. The film is set in the 1950s, and Pattinson played a lewd small town preacher named Preston Teagardin. Austin Collin, writing for
Rolling Stone, found him "eely, eerie, [and] intriguing", while Owen Gleiberman of
Variety praised him for doing "a stylish job". In May 2021, Pattinson signed a first look deal with
Warner Bros and
HBO for producing and developing projects. Pattinson portrayed
Batman and his secret
alter ego Bruce Wayne in
Matt Reeves's 2022 superhero film
The Batman. Following
Ben Affleck's departure from the role, Reeves wrote the character with Pattinson in mind after being impressed by his performance in
Good Time. The film was a critical and commercial success, though Pattinson's casting initially faced backlash from some Batman fans. However, his portrayal was ultimately praised by critics upon the film's release, with Davis Rooney of
The Hollywood Reporter finding him "riveting throughout". In 2023, Pattinson lent his voice to the titular grey heron in the English-language dub of
Hayao Miyazaki's Japanese animated film
The Boy and the Heron. Under his production company Icki Eneo Arlo, Pattinson produced
Sebastián Silva's critically successful film
Rotting in the Sun (2023). In 2025, Pattinson starred in
Bong Joon-ho's science fiction film
Mickey 17, an adaptation of the novel
Mickey7 (2022). He portrayed Mickey Barnes, a disposable crew member on a space mission who is assigned perilous tasks, as he can be regenerated upon death while retaining most of his memories. The film received mostly positive reviews, with most of the focus on Pattinson's performance as dual versions of the same character. In his review for
Indiewire, David Ehrlich described it as "two of the best performances of his life here". Pattinson starred alongside
Jennifer Lawrence in the thriller
Die My Love (2025), portraying her husband.
Vogues Radhika Seth thought that both he and Lawrence were "wholly committed", but were "let down by a [poor] script", while Gleiberman said that in a "rare bad performance, [Pattinson] plays [Jackson] as an unpleasant clueless bro". Pattinson starred alongside
Zendaya in
Kristoffer Borgli's romantic black comedy-drama film
The Drama (2026), which released to positive reviews. The same year, he will reunite with Nolan for the epic film
The Odyssey as
Antinous, and will play antagonist
Scytale in
Denis Villeneuve's
Dune: Part Three. Pattinson was also cast in the
Fernando Meirelles heist film
Here Comes the Flood, which is also expected to release in 2026, and is producing and starring as a crime investigating journalist in
Lance Oppenheim's feature film debut
Primetime. He is due to reprise his role as Batman in
The Batman: Part II, which is slated for release in 2027. ==Other ventures==