The Drama Review

The Drama is a dark comedy from the writer/director of Dream Scenario, which sees a relationship getting tested after a dark secret is revealed.

Charlie (Robert Pattinson) and Emma (Zendaya) are an engaged couple with their wedding fast approaching. Their relationship bliss is shattered after they play a drunken game with their friends, where they reveal the worst thing they have ever done. Emma reveals she nearly committed a school shooting when she was 15, and this revelation changes how Charlie sees his fiancée.

The Drama was a film built on awkward, cringeworthy comedy to the point of embarrassment. This was shown during the film’s opening scene when Charlie tries to chat up Emma by pretending he had read the same book as her, but was speaking into her deaf ear. The Drama’s comedy continued from that point, like seeing someone publicly smoking heroin, a video message getting affected by computer issues, and an awkward photo shoot.

Dark comedy is one of the most difficult genres. It could easily go wrong because filmmakers can misjudge the tone, and the material needs to be extremely strong. The Drama was able to face the challenge thanks to its brilliantly written jokes and a talented cast. It did the basic job any comedy should do: be funny, and it was able to mine all the awkwardness and embarrassment for all its worth. It was also a film that made the most of situations going wrong. Since the film was directed by a Norwegian, the comedy did have a European feel to it.

Whilst The Drama was a hilarious, sharp film, it was also a heavy film that tackled some serious issues. A biting moment was when Charlie and Emma had a conversation with their DJ. After the reveal, it started a slow boil that could slip over at the wedding. Emma’s actions ended up being framed in a more aggressive light, such as when Charlie and Emma were being intimate. More secrets built up throughout the film that added to the wedding powder keg.

The Drama did have an impressive cast. Pattinson and Zendaya have proven themselves as fantastic actors in blockbusters and indie films, and they were fantastic in The Drama. Pattinson played a slightly nerdy Englishman who won over Zendaya by being charmingly befuddled. He was able to get away with actions that could be seen as dodgy. Pattinson’s Charlie was the more serious-minded half of the couple, and Emma was more light-hearted and able to get the Englishman out of his shell. Pattinson was the main focus since the film was about how the reveal impacted Charlie and affected the wedding preparations. Despite Emma’s dark revelation, she was the most sympathetic character in the film.

Alana Haim was notable as Rachel, Emma’s best friend. She was a witty character, but she became a harsher, biting figure when she found out the truth about Emma. Rachel was a self-righteous character who was quick to take the moral high ground, even though she had done some heinous acts. Haim impressed me in her film debut in Licorice Pizza, and it was great to see her in another significant role. All the actors were able to make the dialogue and situations feel natural, which made it an engaging experience.

The Drama was a film that blended its darkness and humour seamlessly, making it a more accessible and crowd-pleasing film.