The Drama: true love is acceptance … right?
What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done? More importantly, should you be forgiven for it? “The Drama,” an A24 film starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as a lovestruck couple, will have you questioning this … and leave you without an answer.
Directed by Kristoff Borgli, “The Drama” follows Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Pattinson) as they prepare for their upcoming wedding. A drunken wine tasting with friends Mike (Mamoudou Athie) and Rachel (Alana Haim) reveals a horrible secret about the bride-to-be, shifting the movie from a familiar, lighthearted romantic comedy to something much more sinister. Charlie is forced to navigate whether Emma is the same person he proposed to, and if he still wants to watch her walk down the aisle.
Advertised as a romantic comedy, the movie begins with Charlie recounting their textbook coffee-shop-meet-cute before entering into a series of other flashbacks of their relationship. We rapidly see scenes of special moments between the two, presenting a perfectly normal couple to the viewers. Ten minutes in, “The Drama” felt like another one of my favorite comfort movies, with a plot that was safe and predictable. It was this false sense of security that made the movie’s abrupt change in course even more jarring.
With one seemingly innocent question, the uncovering of Emma’s secret rattles the whole group and upends the expected trajectory of the movie. The flashbacks changed from sweet to unnerving with grim images that repeatedly snagged my attention. The movie became increasingly perturbing with disjointed scenes, which I interpreted as a clever way to represent Charlie’s struggles doubting the character of his fiancée. While Emma fights to go back to the way things were before the confession, Charlie remains trapped in conflict.
Charlie wasn’t the only one conflicted. One thing this movie did well was confusing its viewers. Multiple scenes made me laugh with well-delivered dialogue and shocking images, despite feeling horrified at the premise of the movie. I found myself disliking Rachel, the only character who expressed how inexcusable she found Emma’s confession to be, despite agreeing with the atrociousness of the crime Emma nearly committed. I even rooted for Charlie to forgive Emma, despite being undecided about whether she deserved it.
“The Drama” offered me a new perspective on a heavily controversial and sensitive topic. It boldly explores an uncomfortable issue from a perspective that is rarely – if ever – talked about. The message is delivered in a slightly more palatable way with charming Pattinson and Zendaya with a few comedic moments and well-known rom-com tropes. It provokes thought in its viewers and, despite dark themes, manages to keep the romantic comedy feel – albeit in a strange and unsettling way.
The movie’s quick pace kept me deeply invested as I hoped to find clarity to my confusion. Throughout, it maintained the hair-raising – and undeniably thrilling – feeling that something terrible might happen, keeping me on the edge of my seat. When the credits rolled, I walked out of the theater wondering what lengths of forgiveness people will go to for love, and if there should be a limit.
If you’re looking for a cozy, feel-good flick to give you butterflies, this movie is not a good fit for you. However, if you’re in search of an engaging and eye-opening film that will leave you puzzled for weeks over how far is “too far” when it comes to love, “The Drama” is absolutely worth watching.
