The worst moment is the best movie - ‘The Drama’

Tobias Cotton-Selman / THE GATEPOST

By Antonio Machado Multimedia Editor Marriage is an interesting concept. To devote oneself entirely to another person in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, and for better or for worse is a difficult thing to wrap your head around when you never truly know the depths of the person with whom you’re willing to dive into the disparities of life with. Kristoffer Borgli’s “The Drama” navigates that difficulty masterfully. The faint aroma of a prenuptial rom-com is quickly wafted away by a shocking dark comedy - expertly written and even better acted. The film follows Charlie (Robert Pattinson) and Emma (Zendaya) as they wearingly navigate the week leading up to their wedding following Emma’s particularly horrifying drunken confession of the worst thing she has ever done in her life - at a dinner with the best man, Mike (Mamoudou Athie), and maid of honor, Rachel (Alana Haim). Zendaya’s usual method-dressing campaign only served to beautifully conceal the unsettling secret that serves as the drama that drives the entire film, which was hidden from every single advertisement despite being the entire plot of the movie - and naturally, won’t be stated in this review. “The Drama” is not a movie that necessarily follows a linear story. It’s a movie that follows and studies the actions of its characters. Throughout the film, the audience observes Charlie’s existential crisis about his willingness to commit to Emma, and Emma’s desperate pleas for everyone to simply forget about her confession and move on. Every aspect of both the actors and the setting play such a vital role in the film, which while true for most movies, makes the discussions surrounding the events even more fruitful. It is rare to see a film that expects the audience to be intelligent. Set against the backdrop of liberal Boston, the film is not race blind, nor does it ignore that Pattinson is British. However, those aren’t themes that are explicitly explored - they just play key roles in the decisions of every party involved. The film is suffocating. Pattinson is at his best when he is doused in a foreboding gloom, and this movie capitalizes on that with a comedic edge. He juggles every emotion expected of a breakdown with finesse, and at times, it makes you desperately want to look away. Haim in particular serves as a sort of antagonist in the film, wherein she specifically takes the most offense to Emma’s confession. She places more weight on the nature of the action than the people harmed by it, begging the question, “What people are afforded grace in a society that has weaponized morality?” It would be difficult to root for the couple to follow through with their engagement were it not for the flashbacks that so beautifully set up their adoration for one another. Part of that can be attributed to Borgli’s stupendous directing, but so much of the credit belongs to Zendaya and Pattinson’s performance. Zendaya is indisputably one of the premier Gen Z stars. As a movie star, model, and sometimes singer, she is an absolute force to be reckoned with. However, so rarely has she been given the opportunity to fully utilize the magnitude of her talent in a film before. Undoubtedly, Emma is something new for Zendaya, and absolutely a career-best performance for her. In this film, she is restrained, subtle, and nuanced, digging into something old that she has long since buried. She borrows the blues of “Euphoria” and accentuates them with the razor edge of “Challengers.” There’s no visible artifice. Pattinson and Zendaya simply marry the vulnerability and throw caution to the wind, submerging themselves completely in “The Drama.” Regardless of the circumstances, the film is intrinsically about the love between these two characters, and the leads navigate that love ’til death do them part. This film is more than a harrowing reminder that it’s difficult to fully know and understand someone. Marriage is not a celebration of what you know and love - it’s the faith and endurance of what you don’t. If marriage is a dive into the unknown, “The Drama” suggests the depths are far more dangerous than anyone can imagine. It’s a cynical, brilliant, and deeply uncomfortable glimpse into the cost of forever. Rating: A- DIY: Give yourself an anxiety attack