Published May 5th, 2026
BY RUBY IRANMANESH
Despite feeling chaotic and sometimes hard to follow, Kristoffer Borgli’s “The Drama” absolutely lives up to its name by delivering an unconventional tale about a soon-to-be-married couple whose relationship implodes after a long-buried secret is revealed on the week of their wedding–a storyline that succeeds in captivating the audience with seriousness, humor and complicated drama.
The story begins with a wholesome scene that focuses on the couple’s first interaction where Charlie (Robert Pattinson) makes his move on Emma (Zendaya), followed by a flashforward to the present where Charlie is now writing his speech to Emma for their upcoming wedding. After a series of time jumps, the film sticks to the present, diving into Charlie and Emma’s list of preparations for their wedding.
The back-to-back flashback scenes and excessive time spent on Charlie and Emma’s initial relationship—their first meeting, first date and first kiss—draws out instead of just getting to the point.
from A24 Films LLC
The storyline truly picks up pace when the couple’s relationship takes an unexpected turn at their wedding wine tasting. After consuming one-too-many glasses of wine alongside their best man and maid of honor, the foursome plays a game in which they all say the worst thing they’ve ever done. Each person goes around sharing relatively innocent tales until the question lands on Emma. Instead of recounting an amusing experience, Emma drops a life-altering secret that shocks everyone at the table and causes Charlie to rethink his upcoming marriage.
Zendaya’s and Pattinson’s performances are phenomenal, and their talents effectively capture all of Emma and Charlie’s complicated emotions.
The rest of the film feels uncomfortable to watch because the secret aligns with a serious topic. There are also a lot of unnecessary jokes made throughout the movie which feel out of line because once again, Emma’s “worst decision” is not something a person often finds funny. By the halfway mark, it becomes more of a “rom-com” rather than a serious drama because of all the humor.
Despite this, Charlie and Emma’s unconventional experience offers the audience a story they haven’t seen before. The film is unique and unpredictable, and even though some may find it uncomfortable to watch, all of the plot twists, secret reveals and close-calls make it an entertaining film.
7/10
