A happily engaged couple is put to the test when an unexpected turn sends their wedding week off the rails.
Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson) are about to get married. While the couple is food- and wine-tasting for the big day with some friends, they dare each other to admit what the worst thing they have ever done is. Drama ensues when one half of the couple reveals their answers.
The film fairly quickly drifts into uncomfortable territory. What begins as a story about impending marriage quickly turns into a dissection of morality, character, and just how well you can ever know someone – even if that person is who you’re about to spend the rest of your life with.
“The Drama” is less about plot and more about reaction, specifically from the viewer. The fallout from the confessions affects not just the couple but everyone orbiting their relationship. Director Kristoffer Borgli leans into discomfort, mining cringe humor from situations that shouldn’t be funny at all. This is a pretty deftly handled black comedy.
Zendaya is the film’s anchor, delivering a performance that’s both magnetic and a bit unsettling. She walks a tightrope in her performance and never allows the audience to pin Emma down. Pattinson, meanwhile, has a chaotic energy that amps up the stress. You are both sympathetic to and frustrated with Charlie. They are both captivating to watch. I’m quite eager to see “The Odyssey” and “Dune: Part Three,” the other projects they’re working on together this year. I am also quite impressed with Alana Haim and Mamoudou Athie, who play the maid of honor and best man.
However, for all its provocative ideas, “The Drama” struggles to grapple with them fully. The film introduces heavy themes — violence, morality, forgiveness — but often skirts meaningful exploration. Instead, it leans on tone and tension, which is vexing at times. It feels more like the film is circling its own ideas without ever landing on them. I was frustrated by the lack of deeper context and backstory, but I understand the decision, since the film’s aim is to put you in these characters’ shoes.
Still, something is compelling about “The Drama,” even when it frustrates. It’s messy and polarizing, but it’s never boring. Borgli clearly isn’t interested in giving easy answers or clean resolutions. Whether that feels bold or not will depend entirely on the viewer.
“The Drama” sure lives up to its title and will spark plenty of conversation and debates afterward. I would like to see the film again to get a better sense of what I truly think of it. This is a film that you need to marinate on. I’m not sure its provocativeness will be as effective on repeated watches, but there’s no denying the performances were great all around.
In Theaters Friday, April 3rd
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