Kristoffer Borgli’s The Drama is a hilarious tale of love and regret. From the producers of Hereditary—Ari Aster, Tyler Campellone, and Lars Knudson—the A24 film follows a couple the week before their wedding. What starts off as an innocent couple’s game evolves into a jaw-dropping reveal that threatens the marriage before it even starts. Lines are crossed, promises are broken, and yes, drama ensues.
Zendaya (Shake It Up, Dune) gives yet another astounding performance, this time as Emma, a shy woman who agrees to marry her first-ever boyfriend. The ever-charming Robert Pattinson (Twilight, The Batman) plays Charlie, an equally shy Brit who follows Emma around like a lovesick puppy. In practice, it feels as though the actors are playing themselves, or at least the personas they portray in interviews. This speaks to the flawless work of casting directors Kharmel Cochrane, Lisa Lobel, and Kate Antognini—but also to the impeccable performances of the two stars.
Pattinson and Zendaya complement each other like peanut butter and jelly, sharing the energy rather than competing for it. They’re comfortable with each other to a point where you forget they’re acting. Emma behaves the way Zendaya acts in interviews, and the same goes for Pattinson’s performance as Charlie. Their chemistry is so great, and Borgli’s writing is so natural that it feels unscripted.
Zendaya handles Emma with the delicacy every bride-to-be needs. She wears her anxieties on her sleeve, her face giving away every emotion before the tears appear. Pattinson’s performance is just as naked. Both Charlie and Emma are vulnerable and scared, but it’s Charlie who is expected to react to the big reveal. Pattinson doesn’t let up and reacts to everything with the bewilderment and messiness the situation requires. He’s fussy and clumsy, a perfect contrast to Zendaya’s more subtle and pervasive performance.
Their performances are elevated by their castmates. Alaina Haim (Licorice Pizza, One Battle After Another) plays the shady maid of honor perfectly, and Mamoudou Athie (The Get Down, The Boy and the Heron) is just as excellent as the concerned best man. Their characters are in on the big secret, too, so they get to act even more wacky than the others. If anything, their backhanded remarks and understated reactions make everything that much funnier.
Despite the name, The Drama is filled with humor throughout. The jokes are on the nose, and the timing is impeccable. Zendaya is no stranger to comedy with her Disney Channel background, but this is Pattinson’s first overtly comedic role. He comes across it gracefully, no doubt aided by Zendaya’s experience with sitcoms and physical comedy. His facial expressions are exaggerated, and he does funny, unexpected voices. The two stars are mostly known for their more serious roles, such as a recovering addict or a caped vigilante, but they shine in this light, too. It wouldn’t surprise me if there was more comedy in their future.
As one would expect, though, the core of The Drama is love and pain. It has its fair moments of funny absurdity, but Borgli’s script deals heavily with themes such as trauma, innocence, and resentment. It takes an honest look at America’s culture of violence and wrestles with today’s cancel culture. How far does violence need to go to become a problem? At what point does an idea require an apology or punishment? And can you judge an adult for something that happened when they were a child? Everyone has an opinion, but no one really has the answers.
Charlie and Emma answer to each other, which is a very romantic mistake. They love each other and help each other, for better or worse, but they’re not doing anybody any favors by staying together. Thanks to Pattinson’s chemistry with Zendaya and the script’s witty banter, their romance is believable and endearing. But it’s the resentment and uncertainty that come from this romance that drive the plot.
The big reveal may be upsetting for some audiences, but it’s realistic and thought-provoking. There’s dialogue from differing opinions, and no one is painted as a saint. If anything, the film examines how bad people can be and still get away with it. It also examines how trauma freezes people in time, and recovery means reconciling with your inner child. You know, typical romcom stuff.
If you want to laugh, cringe, cry, and just have a good time in a room packed full of fans, please do yourself a favor and see The Drama.
Rating: 10/10
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