Like her Twilight co-star and former beau Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart’s career has forged a path as far removed from the campy young adult phenomenon as humanly possible. Another example of her performance maturation and potentially her most important role yet comes in the first Camp X-Ray trailer that digs deep into the culture at Guantanamo Bay and uncovers Stewart like we’ve never seen her before.
In the film, Stewart plays a young military recruit who leaves her small town in hopes of finding a bigger purpose for her life. Rather than be sent overseas into combat zones, she finds herself stationed as a reluctant guard at Guantanamo Bay where a line has been drawn between prisoner and captor that is not to be crossed.
As the Camp X-Ray trailer reveals, Stewart’s character breaks the unwritten rule of not communicating with the prisoners — especially to share any personal information with them. She befriends a prisoner played by Peyman Maadi that results in both of them questioning their ethical beliefs and growing into new people as their bond strengthens in the most unlikely of settings and against all odds.
Camp X-Ray premiered at Sundance 2014 where Stewart’s performance was critically lauded. I wouldn’t go as far as to say she’ll be in contention for nominations when awards season rolls around in the coming months, but this role could be the one that lets a broad audience outside her dedicated and passionate fan base take notice and finally accept that the girl who sleepwalked through five Twilight films has successfully moved on from Bella Swan.
IFC Films will release Camp X-Ray in theaters on October 14.
