The Drama

☆☆☆☆½

What wedding doesn’t come with a little bit of drama? Certainly not Charlie and Emma’s in Kristoffer Borgli’s The Drama.

Charlie (Robert Pattinson) and Emma (Zendaya) seem like the perfect couple. Their meet-cute may have been awkward, but it was undeniably wholesome; they have a tight-knit group of friends and a wedding just around the corner. But things begin to unravel when, after a few too many glasses of wine, the group start confessing the worst things they’ve ever done – and Emma’s goes a step too far. The revelation sends their wedding week into chaos, leaving the couple to question everything.

Pattinson is known for his versatility, and The Drama is no exception. He plays Charlie, a British art historian based in the US who is instantly besotted with Emma from the moment he first spots her in a coffee shop. But as things begin to unravel, Charlie spirals, given only days to decide what he truly wants from their relationship. Paired with Kristoffer Borgli’s direction and Daniel Pemberton’s score, even the most innocent moments take on an ominous edge. We’re pulled deep into Charlie’s mind as he runs through multiple versions of every situation, each one tightening the tension. It makes for an uneasy watch, trapping us within the intensity of his thought process.

Whilst Pattinson may be the standout, Zendaya delivers one of her strongest performances yet, navigating a deeply sensitive subject while still encouraging us to sympathise with Emma. She grounds the character in something recognisably human rather than pushing for easy redemption. The Drama asks the audience to remain open-minded and to hear Emma out, even when it’s uncomfortable. That unease is deliberate, and it’s where the film finds much of its power, forcing us to sit with moral ambiguity rather than offering clear answers.

Emma and Charlie’s friends, Rachel (Alana Haim) and Mike (Mamoudou Athie), play a central role in the unravelling of everything, acting as the initial source of pressure leading to the big reveal and as extra voices as Charlie experiences a moral dilemma. Although no one is wholly innocent, we watch the destruction of their relationships being blamed on one person, questioning how real these friendships were to begin with.

Despite its marketing, the film is less about the event itself and more about how quickly certainty can unravel within a relationship. Borgli plays with perspective, showing how a single revelation can distort everything that came before it, turning even the most sincere moments into something questionable. It’s a film preoccupied with doubt, not just in each other, but in our own instincts, and how easily love can become entangled with projection, insecurity and fear. By the time the wedding looms closer, it’s no longer about whether it will happen, but whether it ever should have in the first place.

The Drama is bound to spark conversation, with a confession that’s sure to divide audiences. But that’s where its strength lies. Films like this are meant to provoke discussion, and the debates it inspires mirror those within the story itself. Everyone will come away with their own perspective, and that’s exactly the point.

The Drama is out in cinemas now!