Once in a while, you get new movie that is so uncomfortable to watch you just can’t look away. The Drama, starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, is one of those films. It is dark, funny, visceral, and thought-provoking film that will keep your eyes peeled.
The film follows Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Pattinson) as they prepare for their wedding. The couple is clearly nervous, but things seem to be going smoothly—until a wine tasting meant to finalize details turns into something far more unsettling.
Prompted by Rachel (Alana Haim), who brings up her partner Mike’s (Mamoudou Athie) past, the group begins sharing the worst things they’ve ever done. Rachel admits to endangering a child when she was younger, and the mood shifts. Under the influence of alcohol and mounting tension, Emma begrudgingly reveals a far darker secret. At first, the table assumes she’s joking. Then silence settles in. That silence is broken when Rachel reacts angrily, revealing that her own cousin suffered because of what Emma once planned to do.
The rest of The Drama deals with the fallout of that confession. Charlie spirals into an intense inner conflict. He tries to rationalize the thing Emma planned to do, searching for a way to move past it so the wedding can still happen. But the pressure from those around him only complicates things further. Rachel and Mike begin to judge him for his hesitation to act. Calling off the wedding seems like a reasonable response, but Charlie struggles with whether a terrible unrealized act from Emma’s teenage years should define who she is now. His inner conflict is written and performed in a way that makes his uncertainty feel frustrating, deeply human, and sometimes even pathetic.
Emma, on the other hand, becomes more of an observer—almost a defendant—waiting to see whether Charlie still sees a future with her. She spends much of the film in a quiet, restrained state. She offers context and attempts to show that she is no longer the person she once was. There’s a tension in her stillness but she also doesn’t fight back in the way one might expect. Rachel, meanwhile, emerges as a forceful antagonist. Her reaction is immediate and uncompromising. From her perspective, Emma’s past defines her completely, and she refuses to entertain nuance or change. The conflict between these perspectives causes much of The Drama’s discomfort.
Director Kristoffer Borgli clearly wants the audience to sit in that same space of judgment alongside Charlie. The film doesn’t offer easy answers. It raises questions about how we evaluate past wrongdoing, especially when it involves actions committed or planned at a young age that affects many people. There’s also an undercurrent of cultural commentary, that is particularly relevant to the United States, about exposure to violence, media, and moral desensitization. The Drama asks whether society is framing these issues correctly, or whether constant exposure has distorted how younger generations understand consequences.
This moral tension is significantly elevated by the performances. Zendaya and Pattinson are hypnotic, carrying long, uncomfortable stretches of dialogue and silence beautifully. Their chemistry feels real, but more importantly, it feels strained in believable ways once the central conflict emerges.
And the movie is genuinely funny in a way that catches you off guard. You’ll feel uncomfortable, then you’ll laugh, and then you’ll find yourself laughing because you’re uncomfortable. There’s an absurd edge running through many of the interactions, where situations escalate just enough to feel slightly unreal without ever breaking the film’s groundedness.
Some of that comes from the physical comedy, which is used sparingly and effectively. Small gestures, awkward movements, and drawn-out reactions turn already tense moments into something darkly comedic. It’s not slapstick in the traditional sense, but it leans into the awkwardness of bodies in space.
The Drama is a triumph for A24 and Kristoffer Borgli. It is beautifully shot and perfectly paced. It is all accompanied by a mesmerizing score from Daniel Pemberton that quietly builds unease and holds everything together without ever overpowering the scenes. This twisted, darkly funny, and deeply uncomfortable film also features some of the best performances from Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, both of whom bring a compelling intensity that is impossible to look away from.
