The Wasteland Reviewer

The Drama (2026) Written Review

What should be the most magical time in a long-term relationship? Your wedding! But the reality is that it can be a stressful, costly, and frustrating experience with so many factors to process and get things together before the big day. There is enough stress involved without any kind of other relationship issue rising to the surface and causing complexities. Well…life is an interesting thing, and challenges seem to appear at the worst possible times all the time. That is certainly the case in the new A24 drama from Norwegian writer/director Kristoffer Borgli…The Drama. If you can’t tell from the title, there is certainly some untimely drama that rears its ugly head in the lives of Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson) just one week before their wedding.

What could possibly be so disruptive in a relationship with a wedding on the horizon? The answer in The Drama is quite significant! The film has remained a mystery (for the better) with marketing alluding to tension and challenges without confronting the actual issue. That is better left a mystery for those who have not seen the film, which is why you won’t be learning specifics here. But the narrative and thematic framework that Borgli lays is quite impressive and affecting. The issue that comes to light is a significant issue in the United States and opens a wider conversation in the film that is quite powerful. The characters learn about something concerning Emma’s past, but the tension rises as no one seems to understand how to properly explore this challenging trauma. The film is a biting commentary on the issue itself as well as the lack of quality response to such a challenge. The Drama is framed as an effective microcosm of society’s ineptitude and the fear that rises around such trauma. Outside of that, The Drama acts as an engrossing relationship drama that explores the cold feet before serious commitment (like marriage) and the true foundation of adult relationships (both romantic and platonic). The two lead characters are both layered and complex and written in a way that keeps the film engaging and unexpected. There are plenty of perfect structured sequences throughout the film that will strike a nerve for those who have been through the process of planning a wedding. There are some places where the film fails to dig deeper into some issues and the end might be a hard pill to swallow for many, but the overall screenplay is quite poignant and powerful.

How does Borgli bring this all to life on screen? The Drama might be one of the most uncomfortable and awkward cinematic experiences in recent memory (in a purposeful and welcomed way). Borgli shows a deft sense of building tension and suspense which keeps the audience engaged and on their toes for the 105-minute runtime. The film has a sleek and metropolitan atmosphere that is classy. This presentation is quite effective because it becomes more uncomfortable that the darker elements crack this “pristine” life that Emma and Charlie have crafted for themselves. Cinematographer Arseni Khachaturan perfectly frames every shot and utilizes the whole space in the frame to build tension and increase discomfort throughout the film. There are some powerful shots that align with this larger thematic motif that are striking, unnerving, and uncomfortable. The editing is where the film truly stands out with some amazing work from Borgli himself and Joshua Raymond Lee. Montage is utilized to perfection to capture the intrusive thoughts in both Emma and Charlie’s heads which is portrayed just as powerfully to the audience through editing. Few films have been able to put the audience in the heads of the character without narration, quite like The Drama. The music is the cherry-on-top from the ever-impressive Daniel Pemberton whose compositions deliver plenty of emotion and tension throughout the film.

How does the cast tie this experience together? The Drama benefits from having two great performers to anchor the film down? Zendaya has shown time and time again that she can deliver a powerful and complex performance which she accomplishes again here. She is effortlessly charming (especially when she flirts with Charlie in flashbacks) but she also digs deep into some harrowing emotion as she perceives her world crashing down after her trauma comes to light. It is all in physicality and facial expressions that make the performances so impactful. You also have Pattinson who can craft a character who is so awkward and fragile. Pattinson sells the spiraling state that Charlie finds himself in as he processes this new information about his future wife. There are some powerfully uncomfortable moments of crashing out that Pattinson sells so authentically (especially his trainwreck of a wedding speech). The film has some memorable supporting turns as well including Alana Haim. The character of Rachel is insufferable, terrible, and simply the worst…Haim’s performance embodies that to perfection. Mamoudou Athie is a good anchor to a lot of the nonsense and wild situations that populate the film. Jordyn Curet does some great work as a younger Emma whenever the film cuts back to her traumatic past. But there are a pair of real standout smaller roles thanks to some great work by Hailey Gates and Zoe Winters. Gates is a refreshing presence of honesty and lack of shame which makes the character of Misha such a fun wild card in the story. Winters is a special brand of bubbly and uncomfortably positive as Emma and Charlie’s wedding photographer and she is the secret weapon of one of The Drama’s best scenes.

Does A24 have an early win on their hands with The Drama? This film is uncomfortably relevant in today’s American societal landscape as well as perfectly uncomfortable in how it pushes its audience’s buttons. Borgli balances power imagery, uncomfortable truths, and plenty of laughs. Zendaya and Pattinson are dynamic duo from their first meeting to their unexpected final scene with all types of impressive acting in between. This is a great film with plenty to chew on for days to come.