Alright! Today I'm reviewing The Drama, a popular and potentially controversial movie that shows the week leading up to the advertised "wedding of the year" between Charlie Thompson and Emma Harwood, who will henceforth be referred to as Robert Pattinson and Zendaya. Everything is suddenly upended in these utopic lovers' lives when a shocking confession surfaces just days before their wedding, casting doubt on the future of their relationship.
Right off the bat, The Drama is well-made, extremely well acted, well shot, and unbearably uncomfortable to watch at times. Even those who don't jibe well with the subject matter will find plenty to like about the film, and those wishing for a fun thought experiment will have something to mull on for a while after the viewing experience. The Drama succeeds at everything that makes dramas, well, dramas - that is, dramatic build-up, tension, an explosion, and bittersweet resolution.
The Drama also functions as a black comedy, with quick cut-aways that feel ripped from an episode of The Office and off-kilter characters that reminded me of The Banshees of Inisherin. There's a lot of physical humour to go alongside a very sharp script, and a lot of amazing line deliveries that make the entire world presented feel real. Much of the levity in the film comes from that naturalistic acting choices - no personalities louder than life, no dramatic stage presence, no over-the-top crying - just two normal people dealing with a horrible secret being exposed and the resultant implications.
To that end, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson can't be praised enough. While watching, I found myself completely buying that they were these characters (a harder trick for bigger names) and really rooting for each one in their own respective rights. They feel like people you could run into at the library; I especially appreciated Zendaya's raw portrayal of true remorse and Robbert Pattinson's doomscrolling energy, and I seriously hope that Best Actor & Actress nominations are in their futures for this movie (Neither has received any nominations for the Academy Awards or Golden Globes).
While speaking about award shows, I have no doubt that The Drama will be highly popular when the season comes. This is exactly the sort of "accessibly controversial" movie that the voters love to nominate, and it'll likely be big enough to generate a few passionate fans.
For me, though, one viewing was enough. I imagine the movie has a terrible rewatch value, due in part to 1) knowing the drama and how it's resolved, and 2) it being unbearably uncomfortable to watch at times. I believe we were an hour and ten minutes into the movie when I found myself praying that the film roll would catch on fire just so I could leave the theatre - good for a first impression, but probably only to be revisited through select YouTube scenes.
Overall, I give The Drama an 8/10. "Off-kilter and dramatic in the way A24 specializes in, The Drama is a great showcase for Zendaya and Robert Pattinson."
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So we're all in agreement here, right? The drama was not a deal breaker? |
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