As a Zendaya fan, I was thrilled to see her in her latest film, The Drama, where she stars as a young librarian alongside ex-vampire Robert Pattinson. The buzz around this movie was intense, with teasers and social media hype sending fans into a frenzy.
The film’s Norwegian director, Kristoffer Borgli, is also well known for his previous work, Dream Scenario, which received widespread critical acclaim across various platforms for its originality, which is also a reason why I was extremely excited to see it.
Given the strength of that earlier project, expectations for this film were understandably high. However, it ultimately falls short for me and left little lasting impact.
But first, I will tell you a bit about the movie itself.
The film opens with a meet-cute in a café, where Charlie (Pattinson) sees Emma (Zendaya) reading a book and instantly shows his interest. After a rather awkward introduction, the two break the ice soon after and immediately spark a connection. Their first date unfolds in an elegant, candlelit restaurant, where conversations about literature, love, and life reveal their instant attraction for each other.
The romance feels almost storybook-perfect, but the idyllic narrative begins to fracture soon after.
Just a week before their wedding, the couple meets with their friends and each shares their worst secret with each other. Fun and games, but a revelation from Emma makes Charlie rethink the entire relationship, which sends shockwaves through their romance.
Charlie is consumed by this confession, which sets off a chain reaction and propels their relationship into complete chaos. Gradually, almost imperceptibly, he begins to dismantle everything they’ve built together. He constantly dredges up the secret, questions her kindness, discusses it with others, and even crosses a line by kissing a coworker. Each scene mirrors his growing anxiety, his persistent sense that he is about to marry who almost did a terrible deed.
First of all, the tone of this film is unclear: it’s advertised as a “dark satire of American romantic comedies,” but it falls short in execution. The sleazy repetition of the same scenario, essentially ‘let’s start over again’ over and over until the very end, quickly becomes tedious and feels out of place in a film that aimed for sharp commentary. This leaves the satire frustrating and comes across as inconsistent.
Satire should be clearly recognizable as such; here, the film does not lean far enough into ‘satirical’, wavering to the point that it’s unclear whether the creators fully commit to the satirical intent or if the plot is truly bad.
Moreover, the entire film is based on building up tension, especially after Charlie finds out about her fiancée’s secret, which I loved at first. This was made even better through the tense, detached music throughout.
However, the ending fully messes up the whole tension, feeling anticlimactic and leaving the audience longing for more. Not only does Charlie end up marrying her and messing up the marriage dinner, they end up staying together.
This leads me to the limited character development seen in Zendaya’s character. Emma shows little to no real growth, repeatedly tolerating her fiancé’s increasingly hurtful behavior in the days leading up to the wedding. This felt frustrating to watch, as it diminishes her agency and makes her arc seem stagnant rather than evolving.
I do have to commend Zendaya’s performance, at least. She brings depth to her role and manages to elevate the film, making it at least somewhat more engaging.
Ultimately, The Drama is a film with an intriguing premise and moments of genuine tension, but it struggles to deliver on its ‘satirical’ ambitions.
Despite strong performances, the film’s inconsistent tone, repetitive structure, and underwhelming resolution prevented it from leaving a lasting impression on me. What could have been a sharp and thought-provoking satire instead feels more like a missed opportunity.
