If the fiancée you were just about to marry told you that they’d almost gone through with a mass shooting as a troubled teenager, what would you do?
That’s merely one of the many situations that tests Charlie Thompson’s (Robert Pattinson) moral compass and righteousness during “The Drama,” released on April 3. After Emma Harwood (Zendaya) and Thompson first meet at a cafe, they fall into a whirlwind, lust-filled romance, and eventually become engaged. However, their love comes to a standstill during the days leading up to their nuptials after Harwood reveals at a pre-wedding dinner with Thompson and close friends Rachel (Alana Haim) and Mike (Mamoudou Athie) that she had once planned a mass shooting during her struggles as a teenager. “The Drama” chronicles the awkward fallout and the ill-fated wedding that ensues, and the struggle the couple faces in navigating Harwood’s past and present selves.
“The Drama” emphasizes making audiences feel the discomfort of the situation, especially through its editing, which utilizes sudden cuts and flashbacks to emphasize the emotions and struggles each character feels. When Thompson and Harwood are forced to partake in a test shoot with their wedding photographer the day after Harwood’s dinnertime confession, Thompson’s inability to separate his two perspectives of Harwood is shown through the editing of the scene. The film cuts from the modern-day version of Harwood that is wrapped around Thompson to clips where she is now her teenage self, which highlights Thompson’s inner conflict and budding belief that he is about to commit himself to a past, murderous version of Harwood.
“The Drama” also features an exemplary usage of audio. Harwood’s arrival at the diner after the duo’s fiasco of a wedding is muted: a full circle moment to the scene at the beginning of the movie, in which Thompson tests Harwood’s ability to hear in her right ear by telling her that he wants to marry her. Muted audio is used in both moments to depict the course of their relationship, going from representing their loving relationship to how their connection has been soiled. During the wedding, the replacement DJ’s audio malfunctions, and sounds just like a gunshot — playing into the crux of the tension that Thompson feels over Harwood’s near-shooting.
The film’s editing isn’t the only thing that keeps audiences immersed — cinematography and scene-framing also help reinforce the couple’s crumbling relationship. At the pre-wedding dinner where Harwood drops the bomb, “The Drama” juxtaposes the small, timid dinner table with the emptiness of the wedding hall, which metaphorically establishes the loneliness Harwood will eventually feel as the rest of society turns on her. As Thompson drunkenly rambles during his speech at the wedding after his co-worker Misha (Hailey Benton Gates) mistakenly reveals that Thompson kissed and came onto her, the camera focuses on Harwood’s looks of discomfort, highlighting the breakdown of their relationship that the film keeps viewers waiting for.
Acting-wise, the film’s star-studded cast know how to play their cards right, which helps to sell a film with an unusual plot like “The Drama.” Zendaya’s ability to capitalize on her versatile chemistry with Pattinson helps her dynamically portray someone like Harwood, who begins the film in a casual, relaxed manner and is forced to watch as her life gradually falls apart in the span of a week. Haim is able to seamlessly slip into the role of Rachel, using her facial expressions and vocal tone to portray feeling attacked by Harwood’s past and hellbent on contributing to her downfall. Haim’s standout moment comes during her shady and pointed maid-of-honor speech at the couple’s nuptials. It’s easy to fall into “The Drama” — from cast to visuals, it truly seems like the film has it all.
While the film’s twisting plot may feel a bit jarring for some, two things that “The Drama” does well are character development and plot progression. Harwood is shown to continuously ask Thompson if he wants to restart during moments of awkwardness, and even does so after she learns that Thompson has cheated on her with Misha. However, Thompson seems to be rather willing to immediately jump the gun on his self-concocted idea that present-day Harwood lives and breathes for mass shootings — only to get a taste of his own medicine when his own immorality is revealed in a rapid climax that’s absolutely worth the wait. Key moments where we’re able to learn more about characters and see how they interact, such as the satirical scene where teenage Harwood films her manifesto or when Thompson goes to plead with Rachel and Mike, don’t feel rushed and help make “The Drama” engaging to watch.
“The Drama” is one of the standout films of 2026 so far — from visuals and plot, to the auditory experience the film offers, it’s hard not to love what the film has to offer.
RATING: 4.5/5
