By Julia Kelm

The Drama follows a happily engaged couple, Emma and Charlie — played by Zendaya and Robert Pattinson — as they prepare for their upcoming wedding. However, their relationship is put to the test when an unexpected detail of Emma’s past is revealed during a conversation between friends. The question, “What is the worst thing you’ve ever done?” sends their relationship and wedding week completely off-track.

The Drama is the latest addition to the repertoire of the emerging Norwegian director, Krisoffer Borgli. You may be familiar with his last A24 collaboration, Dream Scenario (2023), which starred Nicolas Cage. For me, however, The Drama was my first introduction to his work.

I highly recommend going into this film blind, as the twist Emma reveals hits best when unexpected. I luckily — somehow — avoided spoilers before seeing this film Easter Sunday at the Minor Theatre in Arcata. 

It takes a while for this film to get the ball rolling. However, once it does, it just leaves you in the wake of this massive twist. It places you in an achingly awkward and anxious state that is shared by both Emma and Charlie’s post twist. This feeling is heightened by Borgli’s surrealist auteurship, which is just a fancy way of saying a filmmaker’s style. Scenes where Emma’s ear bleeds while at dinner with Charlie, or when Charlie reflects on memories with Emma, seeing as her high school self; both act as excellent scenes in making the viewer feel the anxious stress and distrust Charlie feels for Emma.

The aforementioned detail that Emma reveals is a hot piece of gossip and an even hotter topic within American society. The subject is handled in a mildly humorous way, which has already created mixed responses within online debates, with many who call the approach distasteful. I, for one, enjoyed the approach, finding it bold and unafraid to make audiences uncomfortable and encourage self-reflection.

Zendaya and Pattinson were perfectly cast in their respective roles. Zendaya plays this seemingly idealized woman in the beginning — spunky and charismatic — who then becomes reserved, overtly anxious and paranoid. Pattinson plays an endearing, dorky British guy that turns into a man completely absorbed by delusion. Their performances are truly what made this film come alive for me.

Another character worth mentioning is Rachel — Alana Haim — who is Emma’s bridesmaid and friend — honestly though, if that’s the kind of friend you like to keep, you should do some second guessing. Rachel is the embodiment of an entitled mean girl who can’t forgive Emma for the dark secret she reveals during the climatic conversation. Rachel is a primary factor in worsening things for Emma and Charlie, even though the secret Rachel reveals is debatably worse, or at least similar to Emma’s. To me, this represents the double standards we hold ourselves compared to others. 

It’s often simpler to forgive ourselves because we can more easily rationalize our own actions and thoughts. I think the film acts as a reminder to pull the plank out of our eye, before criticizing the sawdust in our friends — or however the metaphor goes.

Overall, I thought this was a solid film and I look forward to watching more Borgli in the future. 7/10 Julia’s.

Julia is a journalism major and the co-Editor in Chief of the paper. She loves film and is a regular on Letterboxd. She also enjoys going on walks in the forest and taking pictures to relax. If you have a movie you’d like her to review, please email her at jk328@humboldt.edu.