“The Drama”: An Uncomfortable, But Surprisingly Competent A24 Gem

Robert Pattinson and Zendaya star in this A24 film about the fragility of relationships and the weight of secrets. Written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, this is The Drama. 

It has become a sort of tradition: almost every year, one Zendaya project is pushed as a masterpiece on an industry level. And every single time, I fail to see what is so wonderful about it. Be it Euphoria, Challengers, Malcolm & Marie, or the Dune movies, Zendaya is always there to grace us with her one facial expression. I thought The Drama would be no different: a project supported mostly by the names on the poster.  

However, this film surprised me. While I don’t think it would have reached so much recognition without Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as the leads, The Drama does have something of value to offer. And it even managed to make me forget I have Zendaya fatigue. 

What is The Drama About?

The film introduces us to Emma and Charlie, a young couple who are soon to be married. Their relationship is wonderful, and the wedding planning is going smoothly; they have everything to start this happy new chapter together. 

One week before the wedding, while having dinner with their married friends Mike and Rachel, the latter proposes an inoffensive game: each one should admit the worst thing they have ever done. Everything goes south when Emma confesses that she planned a school shooting when she was a teenager. 

This admission marks a breaking point for everyone present, especially Charlie, who starts to wonder if he ever knew his girlfriend at all. 

Competent Screenwriting Makes a Difference

The film’s rhythm is fun and dynamic. We start out with Charlie trying to write his wedding vows with Mike’s help. In that context, we get some flashbacks of the protagonists’ first meeting while Charlie narrates it to his friend. In recent years, I’ve watched plenty of movies that have no idea how to communicate information organically, and make an abysmal use of both exposition dialogue and flashbacks. The Drama’s opening is a great example of how you can do it right. In a few minutes, the film manages to introduce the characters, give the audience important information about them, and show their relationship’s dynamic. This is key, so once the dreadful conversation happens, we can appreciate the huge impact it has on both Charlie and Emma. 

As much as the film is about the couple, the real protagonist is Charlie, Robert Pattinson’s character. From the moment he finds out about Emma’s past, he begins to spiral, torn between showing unconditional support to the woman he loves or being disgusted by the new findings. Even though the characters have plenty of conversations throughout the entire movie, the use of flashbacks becomes recurrent. On Emma’s side, to show her younger self and the teenage angst that pushes her to consider a massacre. On Charlie’s side, to examine the extent of his relationship with Emma and try to figure out possible red flags he has been ignoring.

It’s in these scenes that The Drama embraces comedy, by depicting how the groom-to-be revisits old memories and regards attitudes and traits that he thought were “quirky” or “interesting” at the time in a very different light. This can go from wondering if Emma’s proclivity to be a little rough in bed is a sign of a hidden violent nature to getting rid of one of her coffee mugs because it has a picture of a gun. 

Calling Out Modern Hypocrisy  

Aside from its characters’ development and storytelling aspects, The Drama has two different core themes. Firstly, of course, the fragility of relationships. It takes years to build trust, but breaking it can be only a matter of seconds. The story provides an interesting challenge for the audience: what would you do if you found out something awful about your partner? How would it affect the way you see them? 

However, I think another important subject is also on the table: the politically correct hypocrisy. After confessing she planned a school shooting when she was young, Emma was immediately scorned by her friends. But here is the thing: the rest of the group’s confessions are also horrible. Charlie cyberbullied a classmate so severely he forced him to move. And Rachel, the one who gets more offended, locked her disabled childhood neighbor in an abandoned trailer overnight. One could argue that these two things are objectively worse, mainly because they actually happened.

Emma planned on doing something terrible, but she never carried it out. In fact, she ended up being involved in gun control activism after that. I wouldn’t say fantasizing about killing people is normal, but comparatively speaking, is it the worst confession of the group? 

Here is where the friend group plays a part. In fact, Rachel is so outraged she becomes determined to ruin Emma’s wedding and expose her publicly if she gets the chance. Alana Haim’s portrayal of this character is so on point, it becomes hard to watch: she is unbearable. I despised her with passion every single second she was on screen. 

Has performative outrage gone too far? Are we so terrified of being labeled “a bad person” that we pretend to be mad about things that do not affect us? Maybe that is the main reason why The Drama is an uncomfortable watch. 

The Ending

This is the only thing I found unconvincing about the movie. The script builds so much tension that I was bracing for a huge explosion at the end. I thought the film was going for a Wild Tales approach, where the wedding was going to be a violent spectacle. And while there is some drama at the party, it was much lighter than I expected.

Critical Reception & Box Office

With a seven-week theater run, The Drama grossed $105,071,613 in the worldwide box office, an impressive achievement for a project with a budget of just $28,000,000. Reviews have been generally positive, both from the audience and the critics. 

Is it a good watch? Depending on what you’re looking for. Even though it has its comedic moments, the topic and the portrayal of the characters can be exhausting. And it’s clear to me that it is on purpose to make a point, but if you were looking for a lighthearted romcom, this is not the movie for you. 

However, if you enjoy A24’s more intimate films, or you’re hungry for a competent script, I dare say you will like this one. Even if, like me, you are also experiencing Zendaya fatigue.