There are two types of film fans when it comes to the career of Kristen Stewart. There are the folks that remember her mainly for her work in the “Twilight” franchise (probably the larger contingent). Then you have the people that are more impressed by Stewart’s post-“Twilight” filmography, which consists of auteur dramas and indie darlings. Perhaps there’s a third group (the smallest, by a mile) that really dig her in “Charlie’s Angels.” One thing is for sure, Kristen Stewart has made a ton of films in her career. But the actress might actually be her own harshest critic when it comes to rating those features.
Speaking to The Times, Kristen Stewart was promoting her upcoming film, “Spencer,” which many believe has a serious shot of earning the actress potential awards season recognition (which our review would probably agree with). However, when the question of how Stewart picks her projects, considering the aforementioned mixture of franchise films, indie dramas, and auteur collaborations, the actress admitted that she doesn’t really have a magical formula. She just picks films and hopes for the best, which doesn’t necessarily result in a ton of top-shelf quality.
“It’s a total crapshoot,” Stewart revealed. “I’ve probably made five really good films, out of 45 or 50 films? Ones that I go, ‘Wow, that person made a top-to-bottom beautiful piece of work!’ ”
“I love Assayas’ movies,” she revealed, speaking about her acclaimed films, “Clouds of Sils Maria” and “Personal Shopper” where she collaborated with filmmaker Olivier Assayas.
However, when it comes to naming specifics outside of those two features, Stewart is less than forthcoming. She does admit, though, that the “really good” ones are not plentiful.
“I’d have to look at my credit list. But they are few and far between,” she added. “That doesn’t mean I regret the experience [of making them]. I’ve only regretted saying yes to a couple of films and not because of the result, but because it wasn’t fun. The worst is when you’re in the middle of something and know that not only is it probably going to be a bad movie, but we’re all bracing until the end.”
Someone who has followed Stewart in her career could probably pick out two or three other features that would fit in the “really good” category. Films like “Certain Women,” “Lizzie,” “Still Alice,” “Seberg,” and “Equals” could all be in the discussion, most likely. But let’s not forget her work as a kid in “Panic Room,” either. And though it’s recent and not Oscar-caliber, she really did well in “The Happiest Season,” which was a rom-com that was released last year.
All that to say, Kristen Stewart seems to do her best when she chooses films with strong filmmakers. And her upcoming “Spencer,” collaborating with “Jackie” director Pablo Larrain, looks to be one such feature. “Spencer” is set to hit theaters on November 5.
