Film Review: The Drama (2026)

The Drama starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson is one of A24’s newest releases, and it is unlike any film I have seen before. I walked into the theater for this movie unaware of the impact I would receive from the media I was about to consume, and I feel that made the film hit harder than expected. The Drama, written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, is a hard-hitting film with the classic bits of rom com aspects, but is intertwined with dark and uncomfortable themes that provoke for audience discussion.

The film starts off with the oh so familiar meet cute that is set in Boston where Robert Pattinson’s character “Charlie” approaches Zendaya’s character “Emma” in a coffee shop. This moment is awkward but sweet which makes for an endearing start to their relationship. The audience gets to witness Charlie working up the courage to approach Emma and this sets the premise for their witty charm that they share. We jump from this scene to Charlie and Emma both writing their respective speeches for their upcoming wedding, and it is a heartwarming beginning to see how thoughtful they are about one another and the moments that led to their relationship blossoming into love and communion.

While the couple is getting ready for their big day, they attend a wine tasting with a fellow couple, the maid of honor and best man. The scene starts light with lively humor, and to make things interesting the group decides to go around the room and answer the question “What is the worst thing you have ever done?”. This sparks confessions from each person which each come off as petty young crimes with small consequences, but once it becomes Emma’s turn to share, the air becomes thick with tension and uneasiness. As I was sitting in the theater, I felt my stomach drop when Emma shared and stated that the worst thing that she has ever done is fantasized and planned a school shooting.

Once Emma shares this about her past self, the mood of the film quickly shifts, and I felt myself curling into a ball of discomfort and becoming squeamish. The film introduced a heavy idea which erupted in chaos throughout Emma and within those around her. This confession created a battle within my own mind and had me questioning what I would do if I was given this information in real life. We get to follow Charlie and Emmas’ journey after this confession and understand why she had those harmful thoughts, and how this in turn affects Charlie and his comfort in marrying her

Understanding how Emma rationalized her sick idea and what led her up to that point of planning a mass murder was disturbing to watch, but I feel it was a necessary addition to the film. Getting a glimpse into her head and what she did during that time in her life was something that society needs to gain an insight into to prevent these plans from being carried out and to stop this idealization within young people going through unstable periods.

The film then lands us at the wedding ceremony and reception. This part of the film may have been the most stress inducing moment, and I found myself with my hands on my face in utter shock the entire time. The emotions that I went through during the duration of The Drama was all consuming and had me fully engaged with the storyline.

The ending of the movie was not what I was expecting, but I was not bothered by it. We see Emma and Charlie reunite after their fiasco of a wedding and give one another a fresh start to their love story. When watching this last scene, I was surprised at both of their willingness to give it another try, especially due to all the hurt and distrust that ensued during this story. This film is a must see and is a movie where the contents can be interpreted in many ways by different audiences. It is raw and emotional with that bit of comedy throughout and is now a top-ranking movie that I will be recommending to everyone.