When the trailer of the A24 film “The Drama” was released, it lured viewers in immediately. The main characters are a dream cast: Emma Harwood is played by Zendaya, “Euphoria” and “Challengers” actress, and Charlie Thompson is played by Robert Pattinson, who is known for “Twilight” and “Batman.” Fans eagerly waited to see what would unravel between the two characters.
Directed by Kristoffer Borgli, “The Drama” entered theaters April 3. Labeled as a dark comedy and romance, the film questions what marriage and relationships mean in modern society.
In the beginning, Charlie approaches Emma in a café and attempts to form a connection with her over a shared interest in a book. A strong love blossoms between the characters, which eventually leads to Emma and Charlie getting engaged. The majority of the movie consists of the couple planning their wedding together. During this wedding planning, they decide to take their close friends to a wine tasting. After the couples reminisce over a few drinks, Emma’s friend Rachel suggests an activity: reveal the worst thing you’ve ever done.
This leads to the catalyst of the film where Emma shares her dark secret — which, for the benefit of the readers, we will not be sharing here. After this scene, the tone of the movie drastically shifts to utter chaos. Characters begin to turn their backs on Emma, never seeing her the same way they did before. Nobody wants to believe that Emma was telling the truth, especially Charlie.
There are many different reviews of what this film is meant to represent, given its subject matter, and what the characters are meant to portray.
When you examine the rest of the characters, such as Charlie and Rachel, their relationship with Emma is put to the test. When Emma’s past comes out, their love towards her is severed. They start to perceive her as a mentally unstable person. Charlie is unable to speak his mind to his fiancée, and Rachel believes she is better than Emma — even though she’s also done horrible things. This movie asks the viewer to look inside themselves and look at what the world perceives as terrible.
Borgli may have intended to spark debates regarding human relationships. How far will you go to support your partner? What does it mean to be with someone till “death do us part?” Can we ever truly know our friends and partners?
Before watching “The Drama,” I expected the film to be a tasteless romantic comedy. However, Zendaya and Pattinson’s chemistry excelled into a raw rampaging romance. I left the theater speechless. I would rate this film four out of five Big Oles.
