Rating: 8/10
Audacious and consistently tense, “The Drama” lives up to its name. In his newest film, writer-director Kristoffer Borgli delivers an uncomfortable yet compelling narrative that maintains an anxiety-inducing momentum until the very end.
When audiences meet Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson), the picture-perfect lovebirds only have a week left until their wedding. When their friend Rachel (Alana Haim) asks them a simple question after a few glasses of wine — “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?” — Emma’s drunken confession complicates everyone’s perception of her.
As intended, Emma’s surprising secret catches viewers off guard. Still, despite the reveal’s shock value, the film avoids cheap provocation.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
At no point does it feel like the plot is dependent upon an overdone gimmick, which would’ve been an easy pitfall for a film that initially reels people in using the element of surprise. The film relies on its style instead of unnecessarily shocking material to keep the audience engaged.
The nonlinear, fragmented editing adds to the narrative’s nerve-wracking effect. Abrupt jump cuts from scene to scene prepare the viewer for discomfort, even before Emma admits her secret. The film’s fast pace helps the script land its punches effectively and leaves the audience unsure of what to expect next.
After the reveal, Zendaya and Pattinson’s convincing lead performances flesh out the narrative’s intriguing, bold premise. Their characters feel impressively awkward and real, despite being pushed into a highly unlikely situation.
The focus of the film is set clearly on the relationships between its characters. Although Emma’s secret undeniably touches on a controversial topic in American politics, it isn’t given complete attention. The dichotomy between the couple’s racial identities impacts their reaction to the situation, but the film skips past these complications quickly.
If Borgli wanted to make a clearer political argument with this film, he certainly could’ve, but it’s obvious that wasn’t his first priority. As a result, the film’s themes feel a bit shallow, making it more of a character study than social commentary — though some of that is still present.
In addition to Zendaya and Pattinson, “The Drama” features a stellar supporting cast. Since the two bring a more grounded performance, the characters surrounding them deliver most of the film’s comedic bits.
Standouts include Zoë Winters as the wedding photographer, Hailey Gates as Misha and Sydney Lemmon as the DJ. Their especially entertaining energy contrasts with Emma and Charlie’s tension, contributing to the secondhand embarrassment of the film.
Haim’s performance as Rachel serves as the most memorable of the film. Potentially one of the most annoying characters in recent memory, Rachel is the catalyst driving most of the conflict in “The Drama.” Any time she’s on screen, viewers can expect things to get much worse for Emma.
Despite her unlikability, Rachel is also an example of the nuanced characterization that makes the film uniquely intriguing. While reducing her to the plain villain and Emma to the innocent hero is tempting, the unreasonableness of doing so is ultimately what elevates the film. No character in “The Drama” is fully sensible — but that’s the fun of it.
The film’s biggest problem is its ending, which feels abrupt and unearned. Following Emma’s confession, Charlie spirals through a series of poor decisions. Depicting the aftermath of these choices could have been beneficial, as the final scene feels unsatisfactory.
“The Drama” is an original, amusing film that thrives on its characters’ distress. Made complete by its strong performances and intentionally sharp editing, the film is a worthwhile watch.
