“The Drama” follows Emma and Charlie, a happily engaged couple who get put to the test when an unexpected revelation sends their wedding week off the rails.
A Relationship Put Under Pressure
Well… that is not what I was expecting. How well do you know your partner? That is the question “The Drama” asks. In a world full of “drama,” the film could have picked anything. But it had to choose that.
Zendaya (Emma) and Robert Pattinson (Charlie) have tremendous chemistry in the lead roles. Both in love and in hate, they constantly bounce back and forth. Zendaya carries tremendous weight here. She delivers many uncomfortable lines in “The Drama,” while also bringing a plethora of emotion to the screen. Pattinson is charming, oftentimes playing a quieter counterpart while still displaying bursts of feeling.
Mamoudou Athie (Mike) and Alana Haim (Rachel) have supporting roles as well. While their screen time is limited, these are the characters that will likely be the most relatable to audience members. Athie is the calming presence, while Haim is full of anger. Both actors succeed in their delivery, making each response feel earned and natural.
While Zendaya and Pattinson succeed, their characters are insufferable. It’s impossible to truly root for either individual — for very different reasons.
Style That Amplifies the Anxiety
The film is impressively shot and edited. Director of photography Arseni Khachaturan and editor Joshua Raymond Lee combine to create a fractured experience that generates an abundance of tension. Not only was “The Drama” shot on 35mm film, but Khachaturan’s techniques add extra style. Constant close-ups and zoom-ins emphasize the characters’ emotional states. Then comes Lee’s editing, which can best be described as frantic.
These elements make up a journey that feels like a panic attack. It’s very similar to another Pattinson film from last year, “Die My Love.” Both are well-crafted movies; neither is a pleasant viewing experience.
A Controversial Turn That Undercuts It All
Every progression in the narrative generates more anxiety than the last, and not in a successful way. With each revelation, the movie proves that its main “twist” is just a gimmick; a conversation piece that exists purely to stir up controversy.
WARNING: Click to reveal major spoilers for “The Drama.”
Because, as previously stated, it could have chosen anything. Instead, “The Drama” centers its biggest reveal around school shootings — or the potential of one.
Many will claim that “The Drama” is pushing boundaries, but it doesn’t really have anything to say. Rather, the film feels like it picked a hot topic just to have it. There’s no true examination of trauma, depression or mental health. It simply uses the subject as a vessel to propel the plot forward.
The topic appears in another 2026 release, “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die.” There, a satirical approach highlights the dangers of accepting school shootings as commonplace or unavoidable. Here, the audience is asked to sympathize with a character who considered carrying out the act herself.
This is why “The Drama” ultimately feels “icky.” By not having anything of substance to say and centering the topic within relationship drama, it comes across as being in poor taste. And while it pushes boundaries, it does so haphazardly.
It’s challenging to engage with a film that is so clearly mixed in its messaging. Writer-director Kristoffer Borgli teeters between suspicion and sympathy. What’s left is a movie that raises questions without purpose.
“The Drama” swings for shock value and lands. But there’s nothing meaningful to show for it. It’s an off-putting experience that squanders its own purpose for the sake of controversy.
Rating: 1.5 out of 5
