The Drama as a title is an understatement in what A24 otherwise seems to be indicating in marketing materials is all about a wedding featuring two big movie stars, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson. On the surface that is exactly what The Drama is all about, but rather than the nuptials and feel good tropes of most movies set around upcoming weddings, this one is crashed by the realities of relationships and questions about just how well we really know the person closest to us in life. It is a fascinating conundrum that sets off the fireworks in this darkly funny, yet explosively honest movie that may not be what you expect at all going in, but one that is bound to spark spirited conversation when you are walking out. I suppose that is really the point for Norwegian-born writer/director Kristoffer Borgli whose two previous films, the blissfully surreal Dream Scenario in which Nicolas Cage keeps popping up in the dreams of others, and his first effort Sick Of Myself in which a young woman becomes a bit of a social media sensation by disfiguring herself.
Having seen both of those offbeat films I was prepared for whatever he was going to serve up in The Drama, and I have to say this film is just one more brilliantly constructed and fascinating journey into his young filmography, a director/writer who is a true original and creator of entertainments that also have something pertinent to say about the human condition and the way we are.
With a career-best perfomance Robert Pattinson is Charlie, a young British museum curator now working in Boston who finds himself infatuated with Emma (Zendaya), a literary editor, whom he spots in a cafe reading a book. Pretending he has read the very same book and is a fan, he attempts to strike up a conversation, however awkward it becomes. Still it does eventually lead to dating, an admission he never read the book, but a budding love affair that turns into something very serious and a pending marriage. This is where it gets interesting and real complications rear their head one night at a pre-wedding “tasting” dinner with friends who are also part of the official wedding party, Mike (Mamoudou Athie) and his wife Rachel (Alana Haim).
Sharing more than one tryout bottles of wine, the foursome engage in what turns out to be a very dangerous game when the question is asked of each, “what is the worst thing you have ever done”. Charlie’s and Mike’s rather benign answers lead to Rachel’s pretty startling story, but it is all a warmup as it turns out for Emma’s shocking admission of something she did while in high school, a real stunner that turns this fun dinner into a nightmare, and it also is the trigger for the evolving flatlining of the relationship, not just with their friends, particularly Rachel who takes this revelation personally, but also between Emma and Charlie.
This pair is from different sides of the tracks with Charlie a rather buttoned-up guy with British reserve who finds Emma’s past to be something hard to explain even as they pretend her previously unaired dirty laundry is not a marriage-killer. The plans continue but as the clock ticks it is clear Emma had no idea of the damage that would be caused, and Charlie increasingly finding it hard to deal with, especially in a disastrous moment with co-worker Misha (a terrific Hailey Benton Gates) after he asks the same fatal question about her past. This will come back to haunt him at the wedding, and yes if you have seen the trailer you do know there will be a wedding, and yes, a reception, and yes the Drama.
Exceptionally well-written with equal parts spice, vinegar, wicked wit, and wonder how Charlie and Emma can possibly survive this unexpected turn in their lives after one simple question and one complicated answer threatens to blow everything up. It is telling to hear about the movies that influences Borgli for this tale and that he asked his cast to watch. One is 1969’s Paul Mazursky comedy, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice in which two couples wind up over their heads in stretching the moral limits of their relationships in an ever-changing society. Others including very European takes on life and love like Lars Von Trier’s wedding -set Melancholia, Michael Haneke’s kinky The Piano Teacher, and Ingmar Bergman’s The Passion Of Anna, the latter even turning up on a poster seen in the film to give you a hint of what may have been running through Borgli’s mind when creating this movie which may also pay hommage to other cinematic works (I would throw in Mike Nichol’s film version of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf in which a night of fun and games at George and Martha’s turns into a horror show for the unsuspecting couple they invite over). Whatever the inspirations, Borgli has set the table for a rather daring nightmare scenario that may find young fans of Zendaya and Pattinson wondering what they have gotten into here.
As for the stars they could not be better, especially Pattinson who shows levels of vulnerability I have not noticed before. His journey into the dark side with his financee is pitch perfect as a guy who slowly learns he has been hit with a left hook. Zendaya, whose choices from Euphoria to Malcolm & Marie to Challengers, have been impressively raw and risky finds a character in Emma that incorporates all of that acting swagger , and then some, as a young woman looking to change the downward trajectory of her youth into a new world and new possibilities, a different league for which she sadly finds she is not quite ready. Both Athie, who plays the best friend role with a charming innocence and reserve, and a fiery Haim who holds nothing back and proves Licorice Pizza was no fluke, are superb in support.
The Boston locations and production values are top notch including another fine Daniel Pemberton score, some cool needle drops, and excellent cinematography from Arseni Khatchaturan. Borgli and his co-editor Joshua Raymond Lee find the sweet spot in a tricky movie with lots of moving parts and ever-changing tone.
Producers are Ari Aster, Lars Knudsen, and Tyler Campellone.
Title: The Drama
Distributor: A24
Release Date: April 3, 2026
Director/Screenplay: Kristoffer Borgli
Cast: Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Mamoudou Athie, Alana Haim, Hailey Benton Gates, Sydney Lemmon, Hannah Gross, Anna Baryshnikov, Zoë Winters.
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 Hour and 46 minutes