Original caricature by Jeff York of Zendaya and Robert Pattinson in THE DRAMA (copyright 2026)
My rave review of COMPANION last year was one of my shortest critiques ever as I did not want to give away the big twist in the film’s first act. My similar review for THE DRAMA may be even shorter as its first act twist is critical to all that comes after and I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. If you know the twist already, having read a leak about it online, it likely won’t lessen your enjoyment of this dark comedy about the fragility of love and trust. However, if you walk into the cinema blind, you’ll enjoy the movie even more. The twist isn’t up there with THE CRYING GAME and THE SIXTH SENSE, but it’s still a doozy.
The premise of THE DRAMA is quite simple. A happily engaged couple is put to the test when an unexpected revelation from the bride-to-be sends their wedding week off the rails. The duo is Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson), a beautiful and charming match who have great careers, a great apartment together, and great sex. It’s all so idyllic that nice guy Charlie struggles to write his special vows for the wedding as he’d like to share all of that with everyone, but his in-laws don’t really need to hear about now passionate their intimate moments are together. At least, that’s what his best friend and best man Mike (Mamoudou Athie) advises him as he tries to keep his buddy on the straight and narrow. Still, it foreshadows how inappropriate the rather naive Charlie is at his core.
Charlie is also British, and a bit of a nerd, working as a curator for a tony museum. He’s also one of those chaps who seems to have not been through any real tests in life. That will matter later but in his charmed life he’s able to “meet cute” with Emma in a coffee shop and his ineptitude doesn’t send her running. Instead, she’s charmed by his goofiness and even takes control of the disastrous intro by suggesting they start over with a fresh slate. If only Charlie could do so when it really matters.
And when it matters will be during the week before their wedding when an admission by Emma will shatter his confidence in her, himself, and them as a unit. His perfect male image of kindness, thoughtfulness, and sensitivity will be put to the test and. then some. Emma’s story will utterly unravel Charlie, as well as do a pretty good number on Mike and his girlfriend Rachel too. She’s played with hilarious stridency here by Alana Haim. Charlie’s bad behavior grows exponentially from there and even when some of his actions feel quite insane, they make sense given what’s been set up in the story. In the world of love and trust according to THE DRAMA, the worst is entirely possible. The ticking clock only adds to Charlie’s twitching anxiety.
The acting by the four main players is all exemplary with special kudos to Zendaya for her nuanced and intelligent take on a woman trying to get past her past, and especially Pattinson for his ability to play weakness as so heartbreaking and hilarious. He’s become a master of playing against the cool of his early TWILIGHT screen persona with films like THE LIGHTHOUSE and MICKEY 17, but he’s never been as cringey as he is essaying Charlie. I cannot remember the last time I laughed at a performance so much that also had me wincing throughout.
And hats off to director Kristoffer Borgli for his deliberate and unpulled punches. He takes a lot of daring steps in how it’s all presented too, from using flashbacks and fantasy sequences including Charlie appearing in multiple scenes with a terrific Jordyn Curet as a young Emma to shocking moments of violence and gore. You’d think such flights of fancy would bely the grounded reality of the story, but instead, they enhance it as it dramatizes all the thoughts going through Charlie’s mind.
At times, in addition to critiquing male ego and sexual anxiety, the film seems to be spoofing romcoms as well. That comes through particularly as it savages the cliches of weddings and all the bullshit toasts that get uttered about forever love and such nonsense. Borgli’s pungent take makes the case that love is nothing if not exceedingly hard, requiring not only sensitivity and forgiveness, but adaptation, moral character even in the most daunting moments, and frankly, the backbone of an ox. Getting to know someone and keep moving forward together – it ain’t for sissies. Making a relationship continually great takes work. So does making a terrific film, and Borgli has courageously done so with THE DRAMA.
