‘The Drama’ Review: Robert Pattinson Learns a Hard Lesson About Compassion for Zendaya in the New A24 Film
4/5 wedding dresses
The Drama has been all about the secrecy as it were. Don’t spoil it, keep the secrets, Thanos will get you, etc etc. But the film itself is an important look at compassion, love, and what we’re willing to put up with for the person we’ve chosen to marry.
Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson) are getting married. But when they tell each other the worst thing they have ever done prior to their wedding night, things take a turn. This is when the twist of Kristoffer Borgli’s film comes into play. Like 20 minutes into the movie. So it is very hard to talk about said movie without spoiling it but don’t worry, this is a safe space.
Now, Borgli’s own history makes elements of this film uncomfortable for reasons that are not the film’s fault. Like his love of Woody Allen’s Manhattan and Borgli’s now infamous age-gap essay making scenes where Pattinson is envisioning his soon to be wife as her teenage self more than a little awkward. But the Drama‘s central message is one that is important to talk about.
Charlie is, for the purpose of The Drama, the main character. Even though both Pattinson and Zendaya are leads, the crux of the film’s issues center around Charlie and his overthinking. And it all makes you think about whether or not having compassion and grace for someone is enough, even if you don’t agree with something they confide in you over.
The definition of a dark comedy
Prior to seeing The Drama, a lot of the reactions were…well, reactionary. They were angry or dramatic and it made me cautious as I went into the film. But sitting there, I was more worried about those who deemed this film “dangerous.” Because this is what a text book dark comedy is.
Movies like Heathers and American Psycho are some of the best the genre has to offer but The Drama is a worthy addition. The idea that a film like this, that touches on themes that are arguably not a laughing matter in our day to day life, helps to open up a conversation. That’s part of the point of a dark comedy. You’re not meant to agree with the people in the film. Did you think JD was right in Heathers? Patrick Bateman isn’t a hero.
The point is that dark comedy challenges you and that’s what The Drama does. Zendaya so beautifully plays Emma as a woman who is trying to be vulnerable but also understands the weight of her secret and I think that makes her such a beautifully complicated protagonist. She’s far from perfect but also we’re seeing most of her story through Charlie’s projection.
He is so consumed by this news that he views a lot of what happened in a “worst case scenario” kind of way and it paints Emma in his own light. But when you step back from Charlie and how he’s viewing the situation and hear what Emma tells him, it does make you see things differently. Emma never asks for forgiveness or understanding and you don’t want to give it to her. But there is a level of openness I felt as the film went on.
A topical and hard subject
This isn’t something you should take lightly and I’d argue the film doesn’t. Some might see comedic elements meaning that the film is laughing at this topic but it is the opposite. It highlights how uncomfortable situations can make people laugh and react in ways deemed “wrong.”
Both Zendaya and Pattinson strike a perfect balance between a loving couple you want to see figure it out and the right amount of tension that makes The Drama a fascinating watch. Just maybe go into this movie knowing what a dark comedy actually is.
The Drama hits theaters on April 3.
(featured image: A24)
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