Robert Pattinson Declares Michael Bay’s Transformers the Definitive Movie of the 2000s

Robert Pattinson has a new definition for the word “definitive.” Speaking on A24 and Letterboxd’s The List show, the actor named Michael Bay’s Transformers as the defining film of the 2000s. He also admitted he spends his texts telling people to “Think Braveheart.”

Lance Oppenheim, who directed Pattinson’s Primetime, joined him on the show and did most of the talking, naming a string of classic movies that had shaped his upcoming To Catch A Predator drama. He mentioned Network, Natural Born Killers, Ace In The Hole, and several more. Pattinson sat through it all with a grin that came close to impish, if not outright gremlin-esque.

Pattinson’s Case for Transformers

Pattinson praised Transformers for its “super-bright saturated colors and kind of really glossy stuff.” That seems to be him making a genuine case for the aesthetic as a defining aspect of 2000s-era film. He continued throwing curveballs throughout the interview.

One of the curveballs came from the sheer frequency of his Braveheart references, which Oppenheim described with vivid detail.

“The amount of times I have a text message from Rob being like ‘Braveheart. Think Braveheart.’ And me trying to decipher what he meant by it… I think I would run out of fingers if I tried to count it.”

Oppenheim’s own admission suggests the habit runs deep. Pattinson’s text messages about Braveheart are apparently so common that counting them would require more digits than a human hand possesses.

The Straight Man’s Picks

Oppenheim’s picks were decidedly un-gremlin-esque. His list of films that shaped his work included Network, Natural Born Killers, Ace In The Hole, and several others. He also mentioned that Tom Cruise’s Vanilla Sky is so important to him that he claims to know whether he’ll get along with a person solely based on whether they like it.

There was a long pause before Pattinson answered, during which he acknowledged, “I kinda like it!”

Pattinson’s Other Loves

When it comes to movies, Pattinson does not limit himself to one. He named One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and A Clockwork Orange as incredibly meaningful to his own progression as an actor. Yet he also shows a clear preference for those bold, primary color pleasures.

The 2000s decade is often remembered for its blockbusters, and Pattinson’s pick lands squarely in that category. Transformers was released in 2007.

The Interview’s End

The interview ended with Pattinson blowing off Oppenheim’s attempts to get him to pitch a double-feature for 2011’s Limitless. That film feels like it’d be right in his Megatron-adoring wheelhouse.

What Pattinson Actually Said

Here is the breakdown of his actual comments, in order:

1. He named Transformers as the defining film of the 2000s.
2. He praised its “super-bright saturated colors and kind of really glossy stuff.”
3. He acknowledged liking Vanilla Sky after Oppenheim’s admission.
4. He cited One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and A Clockwork Orange as meaningful to his acting career.
5. He ended the interview by blowing off the Limitless double-feature pitch.

The key facts from the interview:

• Transformers was released in 2007.
• Pattinson named it as the defining film of the 2000s.
• Oppenheim cited Network, Natural Born Killers, Ace In The Hole, and several others as inspirations.
• Oppenheim counts Vanilla Sky as a litmus test for compatibility.
• Pattinson cited One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and A Clockwork Orange as meaningful to his acting career.

Pattinson stated his case with the amused self-assurance that marks his public persona. He did not make a conventional argument for Transformers. He simply asserted what he believed.

See the video the story is built around at The A.V. Club.

film interview · Michael Bay · movie review · Robert Pattinson · Transformers